DEFENCE

Defence Export Services Organisation

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will amend the means by which charges for services provided by the Defence Export Services Organisation are calculated to ensure that the full cost is recovered.

Lewis Moonie: The policy of the Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) is to raise charges against industry for activities undertaken on its behalf where Government independence from industry is not essential and when costs can be directly identified, calculated and recovered from individual companies. On this basis charges are raised for a proportion of the costs of demonstrations of defence equipment; market research and publications; DESO symposia and seminars; and inward visits.
	In addition, the full costs of operating project offices in support of Government-to-Government sales are offset by receipts from customer Governments. In 2000–01 DESO's costs were as follows:
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 Expenditure 56.01 
			 Receipts 41.68 
			 Net Operating Costs 12.36 
		
	
	These net operating costs are more than offset by benefits to the Defence budget, estimated at over £400 million a year, arising from DESO's activities. These benefits include reductions in overhead costs for UK Procurement as a result of longer production runs, receipts from Commercial Exploitation Levy and disposal of surplus MOD equipment. Against this background, there are no plans to amend the charging policy for services provided by DESO.

ITAR Exemptions

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which issues in the negotiations on ITAR exemptions (a) have been agreed and (b) remain unresolved; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: The Government warmly welcome the decision of the US Administration to continue to pursue the Defence Trade Security Initiative, including a limited International Traffic in Army Regulation Waiver for unclassified US exports to the UK, announced in May 2000. These measures, if put fully into effect, would be significant steps towards achieving the objective agreed between the Prime Minister and President Bush at Camp David in February 2001 of
	". . . increased co-operation in transatlantic defence trade and to the removal of unnecessary barriers and impediments to such trade." Negotiations resumed with the new Administration in May.
	Progress has been made in establishing that US and UK export control systems are comparably effective and that there is a high level of commonality between the US Munition List and the UK Military List. The proposals for the introduction, under the Export Control Bill, of UK export controls over electronic transfers of military technology will further increase convergence between the two systems. Key issues remain to be resolved concerning detailed terms for implementation of an agreement. Given their complexity early progress is not to be expected but discussions are continuing, constructively and amicably.

Defence Estates

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many defence estates have been sold since 1997; and if he will make a statement on the adequacy of training areas and accommodation space for British forces.

Lewis Moonie: holding answer 10 July 2001
	Since 1997 the Ministry of Defence (MOD) has conducted in excess of 500 disposals. These range in size from airfields and barracks to small areas of land and individual houses.
	Following the publication of "In Trust and On Trust: A Strategy for the Defence Estate" in June 2000, the MOD has embarked on a major "core sites" review covering all our 4,000 or more sites. This will determine how the estate can best be used to satisfy our long-term military needs and also guide future investment. Associated with this work, we are also considering the supply and demand for training as part of a Strategic Planning Study for the Army Training Estate (SPATE), which is largely concerned with the rural training estate. This should not be confused with the Defence Training Review, which is an advanced element of the "core sites" review and relates largely to the built estate.
	While the MOD has no current plans to acquire significant additional areas of land, we do from time to time purchase land adjacent to existing training areas where this allows more efficient or effective use of the land we already own.
	We recognise that some single living accommodation is below modern standards and the Secretary of State recently announced a huge programme of new investment in this kind of property, amounting to £1 billion over 10 years.

Sonar 2087

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what particular mitigation measures have been implemented to take account of marine life, human divers and swimmers in the operational procedures relating to Sonar 2087; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when the Environmental Impact Assessment relating to Sonar 2087 will be completed; what evidence from outside bodies will be taken with regard to this assessment; what assessments have been made of the United States Navy's studies into the environmental impact of low frequency active sonar; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what frequencies Sonar 2087 and Sonar 2193 will operate at; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what independent studies his Department has commissioned or intends to commission into the effect on marine life of Sonar 2087 and Sonar 2193; at what cost; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  which areas have been identified for the use and testing of Sonar 2087 in the United Kingdom and surrounding waters; what exclusion zones have been implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Lewis Moonie: Sonar 2087 is designed to detect submarines at distances greater than those from which potentially hostile submarines could engage our forces. Sonar 2193 is a mine-hunting sonar and will operate at short ranges. The exact frequencies the sonars will use are classified. I am withholding this information in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, which relates to defence, security and international relations. I can tell you, however, that in order to achieve detection at long distances, Sonar 2087 will operate at frequencies lower than systems currently employed by the Royal Navy, whereas Sonar 2193 will operate at high frequencies to achieve fine discrimination between objects.
	As underwater noise can adversely affect the marine environment, the MOD is committed to using both Sonar 2087 and Sonar 2193 in an environmentally responsible manner.
	The draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Sonar 2087 was conducted for the Department by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at the Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC). The EIA was informed by a number of other studies of the possible effects of sonar noise on humans, mammals and fish. The total cost was in excess of £2 million. The EIA will continue to be developed during the demonstration and manufacture phases of the project, taking account of trials information. It will continue to be informed by evidence from leading experts both in the UK and US; this includes exchange of information on studies conducted by the US Navy. We also monitor relevant scientific and environmental research around the globe. The final EIA will be completed by the planned 2006 entry into service and will be subject to independent review. An EIA for Sonar 2193 has been commissioned, to be undertaken by QinetiQ at the SOC, at a cost of £143,000.
	Sonar 2087 is designed to be used world-wide. To date, the EIA indicates that, for initial trials, the vicinity of the North-West Approaches would be a suitable area. All our trials will be preceded by EIAs specific to the area concerned and they will be conducted using mitigation measures to take account of marine animal life and human divers/swimmers. These measures will be integral to our operating procedures and will include monitoring of the area which will begin before active transmissions are started and continue while the activity is under way and also for a period after transmissions have finished. Exclusion zones will be operated around known sensitive sites such as breeding grounds and sanctuaries; and we will begin transmissions at low output levels to give marine life the opportunity to move away. Similarly, a minimum range will be established from known diving sites.
	These measures will provide a sustainable balance between the requirement for essential trials and training and the equally important need to avoid causing significant adverse impact on the marine environment.

Kenya

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the lot numbers of the munitions used by the British Army at Archer's Post and Dol Dol in Kenya.

Adam Ingram: I am withholding information regarding the lot numbers of the munitions used by the British Army at Archer's Post and Dol Dol in Kenya, in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Missile Defence

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the threat of attack on the Menwith Hill radomes that would result from UK participation in the proposed US Missile Defence system;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the threat of attack on upgraded X-band radar sites at Fylingdales that would result from UK participation in the proposed US Missile Defence system.

Geoff Hoon: The US has stated that it has not yet decided how it will seek to proceed with deployment of a missile defence system and has made no request for the use of either RAF Menwith Hill or RAF Fylingdales for missile defence purposes. We have made clear we would consider any such request carefully in light of the circumstances at the time and taking into account all relevant factors, including security implications.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the report produced by the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, in 1989 entitled, "The effect of Sarin (GB) on Contrast Sensitivity".

Lewis Moonie: No. The report to which the hon. Member refers was drafted but not completed. It is therefore unsuitable for publication.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if service personnel who took part in experiments at the Chemical Defence Establishment, Porton Down, are entitled to receive a copy of films recorded by the establishment of the experiment in which they participated.

Lewis Moonie: Not all trials undertaken as part of the service volunteer programme were filmed, nor are the films catalogued in a manner which would assist the identification of volunteers. Porton Down volunteers are entitled to receive a copy of any film footage in which they alone are clearly identifiable. However, under the terms of the Data Protection Act 1998 footage which identified other volunteers could not be released. Requests for film footage will be dealt with on an individual basis.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 2W, on Porton Down, what the purpose was of the study involving RAF service volunteers at RAF Honington in 2000; what the conclusion of the study was; on what dates it was conducted; and for what reason it was conducted at RAF Honington.

Lewis Moonie: During August 2000 a study involving RAF volunteers took place on the Rapier Detachment Engagement Trainer at RAF Honington. The aim of the study was to assess the possible effects of miosis and ciliary spasm of the eye, from simulated exposure to low dose nerve agent, on the ability to operate the Ground Based Air Defence System Rapier.
	The study concluded that both miosis and ciliary spasm of the eye has profound effects on any military task involving target detection and/or identification under low illumination conditions.

Porton Down

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer on 28 June 2001, Official Report, column 133W, on Porton Down, if he will place in the Library copies of the minutes, agenda and papers of the meeting between his Department's staff and the Medical Research Council staff on 30 May.

Lewis Moonie: No. No agenda or formal notes of the meeting were produced.

Bermuda Regiment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amendments to the Queen's regulations and rules relating to disciplinary matters apply to members of the Bermuda Regiment.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 11 July 2001
	The Bermuda Regiment is not part of the British Army, therefore The Queen's Regulations for the Army do not have any authority over this Regiment.

Bermuda Regiment

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units of the armed forces are largely recruited from an overseas territory, and whose funding and command and control structure are comparable to that of the Bermuda Regiment.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 11 July 2001
	None. The Bermuda Regiment is not part of the British Army.

HMS Daedalus

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the future of HMS Daedalus.

Lewis Moonie: It is expected that a decision on the future of HMS Daedalus will be made within the next few weeks. At that stage I will write to the hon. Member and all other MPs and stakeholders to inform them of the way forward.

HMS Daedalus

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from outside bodies about the future of HMS Daedalus.

Lewis Moonie: Many representations have been received from a wide range of statutory and commercial outside bodies and local interest groups, including those tenants currently residing on the airfield. Much of the commercial interest was generated through our agent's marketing campaign and subsequent referrals.
	Defence Estate, through the Daedalus Working Group, has always endeavoured to keep Gosport borough council, Fareham borough council and Hampshire county council informed of developments.

MOD Sites

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what criteria are used to determine which MOD sites not used by the armed forces should be sold.

Lewis Moonie: It is our policy that the Defence Estate should be no larger than necessary to meet the operational and training needs of the armed forces. To this end, the overall size of the estate is kept under continual review, and rationalisation of our landholdings and the early sale of surplus property remains a key priority. Normally, surplus sites are identified through estate rationalisation studies, as a result of changing operational requirements or from changes in policy. Before a site is offered for sale steps are taken to ensure there is no alternative defence use.
	In the future, the rationalisation of the estate will be shaped by the emerging 'core sites' approach which is currently being developed as part of our Estate Strategy ("In Trust and On Trust: A strategy for the Defence Estate") which was launched on 7 June 2000. It is the intention that 'core sites' will become the focus for future development and investment.

Cyprus

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the applicability of (a) the European Court of Human Rights and (b) the Human Rights Act 1998 to sovereign base areas in Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [R]

Adam Ingram: I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Palestine

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK Government have contributed to the food aid provided by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East to Palestinians in and around the Israeli-occupied parts of the West Bank and Gaza.

Clare Short: We have contributed £10 million to UNRWA's Emergency Appeals in response to the growing social and economic hardship in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as a result of the current conflict. Our funds are not specifically earmarked for food; UNRWA's emergency operations also include employment generation, and other urgent social welfare provisions.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Diplomatic Car Licences

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the diplomatic car licence plate numbers allocated to embassies and high commissions in the United Kingdom used to identify the country.

Jack Straw: I am unable to release the information requested into the public domain as this could compromise the security of diplomatic missions and their personnel in the United Kingdom.

United Nations Security Council

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions in the last five years in which the United Kingdom's veto power in the United Nations Security Council has been (a) used and (b) threatened publicly to be used; and what the subject matter was on each occasion.

Peter Hain: This Government have not used the veto since coming to power in May 1997. However the United Kingdom has used the veto 30 times since 1946, with regard to the following issues:
	October 1956 (twice) The Palestine question (Suez)
	September 1963 Syrian-Israel Dispute: Palestine
	March 1970 Rhodesia
	November 1970 Rhodesia
	December 1971 Rhodesia
	February 1972 Rhodesia
	September 1972 Rhodesia
	May 1973 Rhodesia
	October 1974 Relationship between UN and South Africa
	June 1975 Situation in Namibia
	October 1976 Situation in Namibia
	October 1977 (three times) Question of South Africa
	April 1981 (four times) Question of Namibia
	June 1982 Question of the Falklands
	July 1985 Question of South Africa
	November 1985 Question of Namibia
	April 1986 US raid on Libya
	May 1986 South African raids into Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe
	June 1986 South African attacks on Angola
	February 1987 South Africa
	April 1987 Question of Namibia
	March 1988 Sanctions against South Africa
	January 1989 Shooting down of Libyan aircraft
	December 1989 The invasion of Panama.
	It is not Government practice publicly to threaten the use of the veto.

Iraq

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications for imports to Iraq have been blocked in the United Nations Sanctions Committee for (a) less than three months, (b) three to six months, (c) six to nine months, (d) nine to 12 months and (e) more than one year.

Peter Hain: Most applications to export goods to Iraq are made under the 'oil for food' programme established by United Nations Security Council resolution 986 (1996). The vast majority of applications are approved by the United Nations Sanctions Committee. As at 6 July 2001 around 19,700 applications worth over $28.7 billion had been received by the UN since the programme began in 1996. Only 1,350 were on hold by the Committee (see table for breakdown). The majority of Committee holds are imposed because applications are submitted with insufficient information for the Committee to be able to assess whether the goods could be used in Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programmes. Where there are serious concerns in this regard, assurances of end-use or in-country monitoring are often sufficient to lift the hold.
	
		
			 Months on hold Number of holds Value of holds (US$ billion) 
		
		
			 0–3 months 301 1.24 
			 3–6 months 197 0.62 
			 6–9 months 220 0.62 
			 9–12 months 170 0.32 
			 Over 12 months 461 0.59 
			  
			 Total 1,349 3.39

Embargoes

Roger Casale: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the arms embargoes implemented by the United Kingdom prohibit the temporary export to embargoed destinations of protective clothing by UN personnel, representatives of the media and humanitarian workers for their personal use.

Peter Hain: The Government do not interpret those arms embargoes implemented by the UK as prohibiting the temporary export for personal use by United Nations personnel, representatives of the media or humanitarian workers of protective clothing on the UK Military List, which forms Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 as amended. The Government will therefore consider, on a case by case basis against the consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing criteria, all applications for licences for the temporary export of military helmets, body armour, bullet-proof or bullet-resistant clothing, flak suits and specially designed components for any of these goods.

Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures the Government will take at the 24th Session of the Ad Hoc Group on the draft protocol to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention to enable a legally binding compliance regime to be agreed at the fifth Review Conference; what changes to the chairman's text the Government will be proposing at the 24th Session of the Ad Hoc Group; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: At the next session of the Ad Hoc Group in Geneva, the UK will continue to press for completion of the BWC protocol and resolution of the outstanding issues identified by the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Group, Ambassador Toth. There are a limited number of specific items in his "composite text" where further work is required. These are to be found in the sections on Definitions, Declarations, Visits, Measures to strengthen the implementation of Article III of the Convention, Investigations and Legal issues. The UK will continue to work closely with the Chairman and other Delegations to attempt to find solutions to these issues which are acceptable to all.

HEALTH

Strategic Health Authorities

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is his timescale for the introduction of the new strategic health authorities.

John Hutton: Strategic health authorities are to be in place by April 2002, with all related changes to the intermediate tier of National Health Service management completed by April 2003.

Long-term Care

Bob Laxton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the interim report on the supply of residential and nursing home care in England will be published.

Jacqui Smith: The study of the supply of residential and nursing home care that we are undertaking involves a number of research projects commissioned from the Personal Social Services Research Unit. We are currently considering an interim report on the rate, causes and consequences of home closures. A final report on this issue is expected later this year.

Health Inequalities

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for each health authority the rate on the Years of Life Lost index used for the interim health inequalities adjustment in 2001–02 allocations, indicating which health authorities received an allocation under the health inequalities adjustment.

John Hutton: The table ranks health authorities by the Years of Life Lost index used for the health inequalities adjustment and shows the adjustment received with 2001–02 allocations.
	£70 million was shared between the 47 health authorities with rates at or above 137 on the Years of Life Lost index. This supplemented the £60 million health inequalities funding for health authorities with Health Action Zones.
	
		
			 Health authority(1) Composite Years of Life Lost index(2) Health inequalities for health authorities at or above 137 on Years of Life Lost index £000 Health inequalities funding for health authorities with Health Action Zones £000 Total health inequalities adjustment £000 
		
		
			 Manchester 181.30 2,013 2,428 4,441 
			 Liverpool 178.57 1,997 2,350 4,347 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 174.07 1,476 1,678 3,154 
			 East Lancashire 167.76 2,069 0 2,069 
			 West Pennine 167.63 1,827 0 1,827 
			 County Durham 166.41 2,424 0 2,424 
			 St. Helen's and Knowsley 165.35 1,374 1,602 2,976 
			 Barnsley 164.33 925 1,061 1,985 
			 Bury and Rochdale 163.45 1,528 1,705 3,233 
			 Wirral 163.15 1,246 1,398 2,644 
			 Tees 162.92 2,166 2,547 4,713 
			 Sandwell 162.02 1,180 1,364 2,544 
			 Sunderland 162.01 1,112 1,376 2,488 
			 North West Lancashire 161.36 1,748 0 1,748 
			 Salford and Trafford 160.90 1,723 2,009 3,732 
			 North Cumbria 160.73 1,226 1,256 2,482 
			 South Humber 160.67 1,188 0 1,188 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 159.24 1,778 2,201 3,979 
			 Northumberland 159.00 1,175 1,249 2,424 
			 Doncaster 156.99 1,106 1,307 2,412 
			 North Staffordshire 156.40 1,752 1,608 3,360 
			 Wigan and Bolton 156.18 2,158 0 2,158 
			 Sefton 155.00 998 1,161 2,159 
			 North Cheshire 153.17 1,151 0 1,151 
			 Wolverhampton 151.42 872 1,081 1,953 
			 North Nottinghamshire 150.63 1,376 0 1,376 
			 Wakefield 150.46 1,190 1,414 2,604 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 150.29 1,744 1,842 3,585 
			 Lincolnshire 149.82 2,301 0 2,301 
			 Morecambe Bay 149.79 1,101 0 1,101 
			 North Derbyshire 149.60 1,308 0 1,308 
			 Isle of Wight 149.30 436 0 436 
			 East Riding 148.75 2,054 2,350 4,404 
			 Walsall 148.42 900 1,102 2,003 
			 Rotherham 147.16 854 1,065 1,919 
			 Camden and Islington 144.22 1,358 1,841 3,199 
			 South Lancashire 143.79 1,081 0 1,081 
			 Bradford 143.52 1,686 2,165 3,851 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 141.51 1,967 0 1,967 
			 Herefordshire 140.53 560 0 560 
			 Shropshire 140.36 1,450 0 1,450 
			 Coventry 139.82 1,067 0 1,067 
			 Sheffield 139.72 1,787 2,377 4,164 
			 East Kent 139.69 1,962 0 1,962 
			 Leeds 139.38 2,471 3,142 5,614 
			 Nottingham 138.29 2,124 2,668 4,792 
			 Dudley 137.32 1,010 0 1,010 
			 East London and the City 136.92 0 3,217 3,217 
			 South Cheshire 136.81 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 136.79 0 0 0 
			 Warwickshire 136.57 0 0 0 
			 Birmingham 136.51 0 0 0 
			 South and West Devon 135.63 0 994 994 
			 Stockport 134.85 0 0 0 
			 South Staffordshire 134.83 0 0 0 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 133.99 0 3,607 3,607 
			 Barking and Havering 133.71 0 0 0 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 133.66 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk 133.11 0 0 0 
			 Northamptonshire 131.38 0 0 0 
			 South Derbyshire 131.26 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 130.58 0 0 0 
			 Hillingdon 130.45 0 0 0 
			 Worcestershire 130.18 0 0 0 
			 Somerset 130.18 0 0 0 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 129.67 0 0 0 
			 North and East Devon 129.42 0 0 0 
			 Leicestershire 128.60 0 1,149 1,149 
			 West Kent 127.65 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 126.48 0 0 0 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 125.71 0 0 0 
			 Solihull 125.39 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 125.38 0 0 0 
			 South Essex 124.75 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 124.39 0 0 0 
			 Bedfordshire 122.80 0 682 682 
			 West Sussex 122.52 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 122.42 0 0 0 
			 Avon 121.96 0 0 0 
			 Enfield and Haringey 121.10 0 0 0 
			 North Essex 121.07 0 0 0 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 120.88 0 0 0 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 118.96 0 0 0 
			 Bromley 118.18 0 0 0 
			 Cambridgeshire 117.88 0 0 0 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 117.82 0 0 0 
			 West Surrey 117.75 0 0 0 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 117.56 0 0 0 
			 Croydon 116.24 0 0 0 
			 East Surrey 115.76 0 0 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 115.54 0 0 0 
			 Brent and Harrow 115.01 0 1,002 1,002 
			 West Hertfordshire 114.44 0 0 0 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 113.10 0 0 0 
			 Berkshire 112.96 0 0 0 
			 Oxfordshire 109.71 0 0 0 
			 Kingston and Richmond 108.58 0 0 0 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 105.57 0 0 0 
			 Barnet 100.00 0 0 0 
			  
			 England total — 70,000 60,000 130,000 
		
	
	(1) April 1999 boundaries
	(2) The Years of Life Lost index is a composite of the three-year average (1996–98) of rates of years of life lost under 75 for circulatory diseases, all cancers, accidents, suicides and undetermined injury.

Health Inequalities

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will rank all health authorities in England and Wales on the basis of an age-standardised Years of Life Lost index, indicating which health authorities received an allocation under the health inequalities adjustment.

John Hutton: The table ranks health authorities in England on the basis of an age-standardised Years of Life Lost index and shows the health inequalities adjustment received with 2001–02 allocations.
	Questions about health authorities in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.
	
		
			 Health authority(3) Age standardised Years of Life Lost index(4) Health inequalities adjustment for health authorities at or above 137 on Years of Life Lost index £000 Health inequalities funding for health authorities with Health Action Zones £000 Total health inequalities adjustment £000 
		
		
			 Manchester 195.4 2,013 2,428 4,441 
			 Liverpool 173.6 1,997 2,350 4,347 
			 East Lancashire 159.2 2,069 0 2,069 
			 West Pennine 159.1 1,827 0 1,827 
			 Bury and Rochdale 155.8 1,528 1,705 3,233 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 154.5 1,476 1,678 3,154 
			 East London and the City 153.1 0 3,217 3,217 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley 152.4 1,374 1,602 2,976 
			 Sandwell 151.8 1,180 1,364 2,544 
			 Tees 151.5 2,166 2,547 4,713 
			 Barnsley 150.2 925 1,061 1,985 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 148.6 1,778 2,201 3,979 
			 Salford and Trafford 148.4 1,723 2,009 3,732 
			 Sunderland 147.9 1,112 1,376 2,488 
			 County Durham 147.9 2,424 0 2,424 
			 South Humber 146.3 1,188 0 1,188 
			 Wirral 145.1 1,246 1,398 2,644 
			 Camden and Islington 144.6 1,358 1,841 3,199 
			 Wigan and Bolton 144.4 2,158 0 2,158 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 144.2 0 3,607 3,607 
			 North Cheshire 143.8 1,151 0 1,151 
			 Doncaster 142.8 1,106 1,307 2,412 
			 Bradford 142.7 1,686 2,165 3,851 
			 North West Lancashire 141.1 1,748 0 1,748 
			 North Staffordshire 140.4 1,752 1,608 3,360 
			 North Cumbria 140.4 1,226 1,256 2,482 
			 Wolverhampton 140.4 872 1,081 1,953 
			 Birmingham 137.9 0 0 0 
			 Wakefield 137.7 1,190 1,414 2,604 
			 Northumberland 136.7 1,175 1,249 2,424 
			 Coventry 135.9 1,067 0 1,067 
			 East Riding 135.1 2,054 2,350 4,404 
			 Rotherham 134.7 854 1,065 1,919 
			 North Nottinghamshire 134.6 1,376 0 1,376 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 133.3 1,967 0 1,967 
			 Walsall 132.8 900 1,102 2,003 
			 Morecambe Bay 132.4 1,101 0 1,101 
			 Sefton 132.0 998 1,161 2,159 
			 Leeds 131.6 2,471 3,142 5,614 
			 South Lancashire 130.1 1,081 0 1,081 
			 Sheffield 129.5 1,787 2,377 4,164 
			 North Derbyshire 129.3 1,308 0 1,308 
			 Nottingham 129.3 2,124 2,668 4,792 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 129.2 0 0 0 
			 Hillingdon 128.6 0 0 0 
			 Lincolnshire 128.3 2,301 0 2,301 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 128.0 1,744 1,842 3,585 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 126.1 0 0 0 
			 Shropshire 125.6 1,450 0 1,450 
			 Isle of Wight 125.0 436 0 436 
			 Northamptonshire 124.5 0 0 0 
			 East Kent 123.4 1,962 0 1,962 
			 Barking and Havering 123.0 0 0 0 
			 Enfield and Haringey 121.9 0 0 0 
			 Herefordshire 121.1 560 0 560 
			 Leicestershire 120.8 0 1,149 1,149 
			 Warwickshire 120.8 0 0 0 
			 Dudley 120.5 1,010 0 1,010 
			 South Derbyshire 120.4 0 0 0 
			 South Staffordshire 120.0 0 0 0 
			 South Cheshire 119.9 0 0 0 
			 North Yorkshire 119.8 0 0 0 
			 Stockport 118.7 0 0 0 
			 South and West Devon 118.7 0 994 994 
			 Bedfordshire 118.5 0 682 682 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 117.9 0 0 0 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 117.7 0 0 0 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 117.3 0 0 0 
			 West Kent 117.2 0 0 0 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 116.8 0 0 0 
			 Worcestershire 115.6 0 0 0 
			 Norfolk 114.4 0 0 0 
			 South Essex 113.7 0 0 0 
			 Croydon 113.3 0 0 0 
			 Wiltshire 113.3 0 0 0 
			 Somerset 113.2 0 0 0 
			 Suffolk 113.0 0 0 0 
			 Dorset 113.0 0 0 0 
			 Brent and Harrow 112.8 0 1,002 1,002 
			 Cambridgeshire 112.3 0 0 0 
			 Avon 112.1 0 0 0 
			 Gloucestershire 111.7 0 0 0 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 111.3 0 0 0 
			 Solihull 110.6 0 0 0 
			 Berkshire 110.6 0 0 0 
			 Buckinghamshire 110.4 0 0 0 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 110.3 0 0 0 
			 North and East Devon 109.6 0 0 0 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 108.5 0 0 0 
			 North Essex 107.8 0 0 0 
			 West Sussex 107.5 0 0 0 
			 West Hertfordshire 107.2 0 0 0 
			 West Surrey 106.9 0 0 0 
			 Bromley 105.3 0 0 0 
			 Oxfordshire 104.5 0 0 0 
			 Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster 104.3 0 0 0 
			 Kingston and Richmond 103.7 0 0 0 
			 East Surrey 102.4 0 0 0 
			 Barnet 100.0 0 0 0 
			   
			 England total  70,000 60,000 130,000 
		
	
	(3) April 1999 boundaries
	(4) The Years of Life Lost index is a composite of the three-year average (1996–98) of rates of years of life lost under 75 for circulatory diseases, all cancers, accidents, suicides and undetermined injury.

Health Inequalities

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list health authorities in order of their distance from target in 2001–02, showing (a) the cash amount and (b) the percentage increase on their baselines directed towards moving under-target authorities closer to their weighted capitation targets for (a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02.

John Hutton: The table lists health authorities in order of their distance from target in 2001–02 and shows, in cash and percentage terms, the increase on their baselines directed towards moving under target health authorities closer to their weighted capitation targets for 1999–00 and 2000–01.
	For 2001–02, the distribution of extra resources was on the following basis:
	(a) every health authority received a general increase to meet the pressures they all face calculated pro rata to their baselines;
	(b) funding for implementing the NHS Plan was issued pro rata to their weighted capitation targets.
	(No funding was specifically directed towards moving under target HAs to target.)
	
		
			   Distances from targets Increase directed towards moving under target health authorities closer to target  
			 Health authority(5) 2001–02 Percentage 1999–2000 £000 2000–01 £000 1999–2000 Percentage 2000–01 Percentage 
		
		
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster -10.90 7,919 6,605 3.01 2.28 
			 East London and the City -7.15 8,868 6,051 1.95 1.22 
			 Bedfordshire -4.40 5,071 3,968 1.74 1.26 
			 Berkshire -3.36 6,696 4,834 1.67 1.09 
			 Oxfordshire -3.14 4,635 2,901 1.52 0.87 
			 Cambridgeshire(6) -3.10 NA 3,673 NA 0.91 
			 Barnsley -2.95 2,252 1,664 1.55 1.07 
			 Wigan and Bolton -2.84 5,511 3,883 1.58 1.04 
			 Buckinghamshire -2.83 4,926 3,805 1.43 1.02 
			 Barnet -2.82 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Leicestershire -2.44 6,988 5,224 1.45 1.00 
			 Walsall -2.35 1,778 1,193 1.17 0.73 
			 South Derbyshire -1.91 4,247 2,509 1.33 0.73 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow -1.77 4,533 2,012 1.02 0.42 
			 West Pennine -1.73 3,453 2,260 1.24 0.76 
			 Nottingham -1.55 5,273 3,533 1.45 0.90 
			 Shropshire -1.39 2,247 1,676 0.97 0.67 
			 Croydon -1.33 2,198 1,290 1.16 0.63 
			 South Essex -1.26 6,426 3,073 1.65 0.72 
			 Avon -1.25 6,233 3,733 1.14 0.63 
			 South Staffordshire -1.24 0 1,358 0.00 0.42 
			 County Durham -1.20 5,363 3,326 1.40 0.80 
			 North Staffordshire -1.10 4,152 2,329 1.46 0.76 
			 North Essex -1.04 4,894 2,133 1.04 0.42 
			 Enfield and Haringey -1.03 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 East and North Hertfordshire -0.98 2,842 1,933 1.04 0.66 
			 Bradford -0.96 3,770 1,981 1.29 0.63 
			 Hillingdon -0.88 0 794 0.00 0.51 
			 Wolverhampton -0.82 1,803 1,275 1.20 0.79 
			 Coventry -0.79 3,101 2,001 1.66 0.99 
			 North Yorkshire -0.74 3,975 2,178 0.97 0.50 
			 North Nottinghamshire -0.65 2,540 2,059 1.15 0.86 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham -0.58 5,471 0 1.02 0.00 
			 Tees -0.57 3,813 2,349 1.10 0.63 
			 Dudley -0.53 1,893 1,312 1.10 0.71 
			 St. Helen's and Knowsley -0.49 2,175 1,345 0.98 0.57 
			 Bury and Rochdale -0.49 2,717 1,191 1.17 0.47 
			 Rotherham -0.47 1,543 1,006 1.04 0.63 
			 Norfolk(6) -0.46 NA 0 NA 0.00 
			 Stockport -0.43 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Sunderland -0.34 1,978 1,223 1.05 0.61 
			 West Sussex -0.34 4,603 2,345 1.05 0.50 
			 Lincolnshire -0.33 0 2,266 0.00 0.57 
			 North and Mid Hampshire -0.18 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 West Hertfordshire -0.11 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Sandwell -0.09 2,267 1,202 1.18 0.59 
			 North Cumbria -0.07 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Brent and Harrow -0.06 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Wakefield 0.04 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Worcestershire 0.20 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Camden and Islington 0.21 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Herefordshire 0.23 0 450 0.00 0.45 
			 East Lancashire 0.29 3,393 1,925 1.03 0.55 
			 Northamptonshire 0.30 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 0.32 2,514 1,557 1.05 0.61 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 0.35 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Wiltshire 0.46 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire 0.49 2,939 0 0.95 0.00 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 0.51 0 1,571 0.00 0.42 
			 North Derbyshire 0.58 2,021 1,104 0.94 0.48 
			 Kingston and Richmond 0.68 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Northumberland 0.75 1,701 896 0.92 0.45 
			 West Kent 0.76 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Somerset 0.85 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 South Lancashire 0.92 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Solihull 0.92 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Suffolk 1.06 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 1.12 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Doncaster 1.14 1,706 856 0.92 0.43 
			 Warwickshire 1.14 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Birmingham 1.18 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Leeds 1.27 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 North and East Devon 1.27 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Barking and Havering 1.45 2,525 0 1.05 0.00 
			 East Riding 1.46 3,473 1,512 1.03 0.42 
			 North West Lancashire 1.52 2,952 0 0.98 0.00 
			 South Cheshire 1.58 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Bromley 1.63 1,631 0 0.95 0.00 
			 West Surrey 1.74 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 East Surrey 2.15 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 North Cheshire 2.22 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 2.25 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Salford and Trafford 2.48 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 South Humber 2.52 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 East Kent 2.69 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 South and West Devon 2.80 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Sheffield 2.81 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Dorset 2.86 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Manchester 2.89 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 3.01 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Liverpool 3.13 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 3.39 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 3.60 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Wirral 3.65 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Gloucestershire 3.71 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Sefton 4.18 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Morecambe Bay 4.37 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Bexley and Greenwich 7.27 0 0 0.00 0.00 
			 Isle of Wight 7.70 0 0 0.00 0.00 
		
	
	(5) April 1999 boundaries
	(6) New health authorities established 1 April 1999.

Drug Addicts

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the treatment protocol is for long-term injecting drug addicts over the age of 40.

Hazel Blears: Treatment is provided on the basis of clinical need. Hence, treatment of adult drug misusers should not vary according to age. Guidance on the standard to which treatment should be provided is contained within the Department of Health publication "Drug Misuse and Dependence—Guidelines on Clinical Management", which is available in the Library.
	Ambitious targets have been set under our 10-year anti-drugs strategy to prevent drug misuse, and to help those with drug problems overcome them. A key target is to increase the participation of drug misusers in drug treatment programmes that have a positive effect on health and crime by 66 per cent. by 2005 and 100 per cent. by 2008.

Car Parking

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the provision of car parking for (a) staff, (b) patients and (c) visitors as part of new hospital building schemes.

John Hutton: The Department's policy is to require a transport plan that incorporates car parking arrangements for staff, patients and visitors as part of the business case approval process for new hospital building schemes. This will take into account local circumstances and the need to maximise accessibility by public transport to minimise the need for car parking, particularly for staff, while at the same time providing good access arrangements for emergency vehicles and those who need to use cars.
	It is also important that those considering new health facility developments have early discussions with the local authority on car park requirements and transport planning as a key part of the planning approval process.

Herceptin

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to direct NICE to issue guidance on the use of Herceptin in combination with taxanes for the treatment of women with breast cancer who are over-expressing the HER 2 marker; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will list the health authorities in England and Wales that are awaiting a decision from NICE on Herceptin before they will fund the drug for the treatment of women with breast cancer who are over-expressing the HER 2 marker;
	(3)  if NICE has completed its appraisal of the use of Herceptin in combination with taxanes for the treatment of women with breast cancer who are over-expressing the HER 2 marker;
	(4)  when he expects NICE to issue guidance on the use of Herceptin in the treatment of women with breast cancer who are over-expressing the HER 2 marker.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 11 July 2001
	We understand that the publication date for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence's guidance in the use of trastuzumab (Herceptin) and vinorelbine for breast cancer has yet to be confirmed but is unlikely to be before the end of the year. Once the date is confirmed, details will be published on the Institute's website. We would expect NICE guidance to relate to the current licensed uses of trastuzumab.
	We do not hold a central list of the authorities which are awaiting a decision from the National Institute before they will fund trastuzumab. However, we expect that health authorities will continue arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies in line with Health Service Circular 1999/176 issued in August 1999, copies of which are available in the Library.

Colorectal Cancer

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list the health authorities in England and Wales that are awaiting a decision from NICE on Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed before they will fund these drugs in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer;
	(2)  what plans he has to direct NICE to issue guidance on the use of Irinotecan as second-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the length of time between the decision to uphold the appeal against the appraisal by NICE on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer and the next review of draft guidance by the Appraisal Committee of NICE; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  when NICE will issue guidance on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer;
	(5)  when the appeal against the appraisal by NICE on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer will be heard; when the Appeal Board decided to uphold the appeal; and when this decision was announced;
	(6)  what guidance he intends to give to health authorities following the appeal being upheld against the appraisal by NICE on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, and prior to formal guidance being issued by NICE;
	(7)  if NICE has completed its appraisal on the use of Irinotecan as second-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer;
	(8)  when the appraisal committee of NICE will meet to review the draft guidance on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 11 July 2001
	We referred the appraisal of Irinotecan to the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) on 12 July 2000.
	Details of the process for a particular treatment are a matter for NICE. However, we understand that an appeal panel heard appeals against the final appraisal Determination on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer on 23 May 2001 and that the panel's decision was forwarded to the Institute on 27 June 2001. The panel's decision was distributed to consultees on 28 June and was published on the Institute's website on 2 July.
	The appraisal committee will review its final appraisal determination on the use of Irinotecan, Oxaliplatin and Raltitrexed in the light of the appeal panel's decision and recommendations. It was asked to do so on 27 June when the Institute received the appeal panel's final decision. The date on which it will meet to review its final appraisal determination is to be confirmed, as is the proposed date the Institute will issue its guidance. We understand that when these dates are agreed they will, in line with the Institute's usual practice, be published on the NICE website.
	The length of time between the decision to uphold the appeal and the next review of draft guidance is a matter for NICE. It is aware that the final guidance should be issued as soon as possible but that due process should be followed.
	We do not hold a central list of the authorities who are awaiting a decision from NICE before they will make these drugs available. However, we expect that health authorities will continue arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies, in line with Health Service Circular 1999/176 issued in August 1999, copies of which are available in the Library.

Follicular Lymphoma

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will list the health authorities in England and Wales that are awaiting a decision from NICE on rituximab before they will make this drug available for the treatment of eligible patients with follicular lymphoma;
	(2)  when the next Appraisal Committee of NICE to review draft guidance on the use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma will meet;
	(3)  when the appeal against the appraisal by NICE on the use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma was heard; when the appeal board decided to uphold the appeal; and when this decision was announced;
	(4)  when NICE will issue guidance on the use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma;
	(5)  what assessment he has made of the length of time between the decision to uphold the appeal against the appraisal by NICE on the use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma and the next review of draft guidance by the Appraisal Committee of NICE: and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: holding answers 11 July 2001
	Appeals are a part of the process used by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence for developing robust and reliable guidance. Details of the process for a particular treatment are a matter for the Institute. However, we understand that an appeal panel heard appeals against the final appraisal determination on the use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma on 21 May 2001 and that the panel's decision was forwarded to the Institute on 27 June 2001. The panel's decision was distributed to consultees on 28 June and was published on the Institute's website on 2 July.
	The appraisal committee will review its final appraisal determination on rituximab for follicular lymphoma in the light of the appeal panel's decision and recommendations. It was asked to do so on 27 June when the Institute received the appeal panel's final decision. The date on which it will meet to review its final appraisal determination is to be confirmed, as is the proposed date the Institute will issue its guidance. We understand that when these dates are agreed they will be published on the Institute's website in line with normal practice.
	The length of time between the decision to uphold the appeal and the next review of draft guidance is a matter for the National Institute. It is aware that the final guidance should be issued as soon as possible but that due process should be followed.
	We do not hold a central list of the authorities who are awaiting a decision from the Institute on rituximab before they will make this drug available. However, we expect that health authorities will continue arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies, in line with Health Service Circular 1999/176 issued in August 1999, copies of which are available in the Library.

Follicular Lymphoma

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he intends to give to health authorities following the appeal upheld against the appraisal by NICE on the use of rituximab for the treatment of follicular lymphoma and prior to formal guidance being issued by NICE.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 11 July 2001
	None. We issued Health Service Circular 1999/176 in August 1999. It asks National Health Service bodies to continue with local arrangements for the managed introduction of new technologies where guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is not available at the time the technology first becomes available. It also advises that these arrangements should involve an assessment of all the available evidence.

Waiting Lists

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will rank health authorities in England in order of the highest waiting times for hospital operations, using as the measures (a) those waiting over six months for inpatient treatments and (b) those waiting over 12 months for inpatient treatments.

John Hutton: holding answer 11 July 2001
	Patients awaiting operations are not identifiable separately. The table shows, for all patients awaiting admission to hospital, numbers of patients waiting more than six months and more than 12 months in each health authority in England as at 31 May 2001.
	As part of the NHS Plan, the National Health Service is working towards reducing the current maximum inpatient wait of 18 months to 15 months by March 2002, 12 months by March 2003, nine months by March 2004 and then ultimately six months by the end of 2005.
	
		Patients waiting more than six months for admission to hospital as on 31 May 2001
		
			 Health authority Number 
		
		
			 West Kent 7,796 
			 West Sussex 7,141 
			 Avon 6,603 
			 North Essex 6,537 
			 Hertfordshire 6,167 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 5,910 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 5,806 
			 West Surrey 5,484 
			 East Kent 5,348 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 5,101 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 4,628 
			 South Essex 4,571 
			 Norfolk 4,481 
			 Suffolk 4,406 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East 4,380 
			 Hampshire — 
			 Lincolnshire 4,028 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 4,019 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 3,961 
			 South and West Devon 3,929 
			 Leeds 3,908 
			 South Cheshire 3,896 
			 Buckinghamshire 3,808 
			 South Staffordshire 3,792 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 3,758 
			 Berkshire 3,667 
			 Salford and Trafford 3,587 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 3,579 
			 Northamptonshire 3,507 
			 Wiltshire 3,491 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,472 
			 North and East Devon 3,448 
			 North Yorkshire 3,434 
			 East Riding and Hull 3,400 
			 Barking and Havering 3,191 
			 East London and City 3,171 
			 Leicestershire 3,143 
			 East Surrey 3,102 
			 Wigan and Bolton 3,077 
			 Bedfordshire 3,049 
			 South Derbyshire 2,977 
			 North Cheshire 2,973 
			 East Lancashire 2,962 
			 Somerset 2,954 
			 Manchester 2,947 
			 Oxfordshire 2,901 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 2,778 
			 Liverpool 2,702 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 2,689 
			 Worcestershire 2,664 
			 Sheffield 2,496 
			 Nottingham 2,465 
			 Birmingham 2,419 
			 Tees 2,398 
			 Brent and Harrow 2,360 
			 County Durham and Darlington 2,325 
			 Bradford 2,262 
			 Croydon 2,196 
			 West Pennine 2,175 
			 Kingston and Richmond 2,105 
			 South Lancashire 2,019 
			 Warwickshire 2,019 
			 Wakefield 2,005 
			 North West Lancashire 2,003 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley 1,995 
			 North Cumbria 1,976 
			 Bury and Rochdale 1,894 
			 South Humber 1,877 
			 North Derbyshire 1,808 
			 North Nottinghamshire 1,779 
			 Sefton 1,769 
			 Stockport 1,726 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 1,690 
			 Shropshire 1,657 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 1,618 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 1,477 
			 Morecambe Bay 1,412 
			 Camden and Islington 1,367 
			 North Staffordshire 1,333 
			 Gloucestershire 1,316 
			 Sunderland 1,256 
			 Hillingdon 1,096 
			 Wirral 983 
			 Northumberland 972 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 961 
			 Dudley 875 
			 Coventry 869 
			 Wolverhampton 709 
			 Herefordshire 693 
			 Barnsley 588 
			 Solihull 578 
			 Sandwell 565 
			 Doncaster 507 
			 Rotherham 475 
			 Walsall 399 
			 Dorset 106 
		
	
	
		Patients waiting more than 12 months for admission to hospital as on 31 May 2001
		
			 Health authority Number 
		
		
			 West Sussex 1,816 
			 Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham 1,603 
			 West Kent 1,551 
			 West Surrey 1,522 
			 Avon 1,436 
			 Hertfordshire 1,353 
			 North Essex 1,331 
			 East Sussex, Brighton and Hove 1,160 
			 East Kent 1,122 
			 Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East 1,040 
			 Hampshire — 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey 1,040 
			 Southampton and South West Hampshire 1,011 
			 Norfolk 994 
			 Salford and Trafford 849 
			 Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich 839 
			 Redbridge and Waltham Forest 811 
			 South and West Devon 783 
			 Buckinghamshire 777 
			 East Surrey 754 
			 Wiltshire 745 
			 Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow 726 
			 Bedfordshire 725 
			 South Staffordshire 721 
			 North Cheshire 717 
			 Manchester 697 
			 North and East Devon 689 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 685 
			 Northamptonshire 623 
			 South Cheshire 622 
			 Suffolk 617 
			 Croydon 606 
			 Cambridgeshire 603 
			 Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth 594 
			 Lincolnshire 561 
			 East London and City 536 
			 North and Mid Hampshire 530 
			 Barking and Havering 521 
			 Berkshire 516 
			 Liverpool 504 
			 South Essex 493 
			 Oxfordshire 487 
			 Wigan and Bolton 484 
			 Kingston and Richmond 448 
			 Brent and Harrow 439 
			 Worcestershire 414 
			 Leeds 367 
			 Leicestershire 364 
			 Somerset 357 
			 East Riding and Hull 321 
			 St. Helens and Knowsley 319 
			 Sefton 287 
			 West Pennine 285 
			 Shropshire 280 
			 Camden and Islington 263 
			 South Lancashire 258 
			 Bury and Rochdale 258 
			 Hillingdon 250 
			 Stockport 248 
			 Birmingham 238 
			 North Staffordshire 225 
			 South Derbyshire 212 
			 Nottingham 195 
			 North Cumbria 188 
			 Morecame Bay 183 
			 Wakefield 173 
			 North West Lancashire 171 
			 North Yorkshire 168 
			 East Lancashire 154 
			 Calderdale and Kirklees 148 
			 Gloucestershire 131 
			 Wirral 128 
			 Newcastle and North Tyneside 112 
			 Herefordshire 107 
			 Tees 104 
			 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster 99 
			 County Durham and Darlington 94 
			 Bradford 88 
			 Dudley 80 
			 Coventry 77 
			 Warwickshire 73 
			 North Nottinghamshire 60 
			 Sheffield 60 
			 Northumberland 56 
			 North Derbyshire 55 
			 Gateshead and South Tyneside 43 
			 Wolverhampton 43 
			 Sunderland 38 
			 South Humber 37 
			 Sandwell 28 
			 Walsall 27 
			 Solihull 21 
			 Barnsley 18 
			 Dorset 12 
			 Doncaster 9 
			 Rotherham 8 
		
	
	Source:
	QFO1 quarterly returns

NHS Complaints Procedure

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 5 July 2001, Official Report, column 290W, on NHS complaints procedure, on what date his Department received the report from York Health Economics Consortium.

Hazel Blears: The final report of the national evaluation of the National Health Service complaints procedure by the York Health Economics Consortium and NFO System Three Social Research (formerly Public Attitude Surveys) was received by the Department on 28 February 2001.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Teacher Vacancies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were on 31 March (a) 2000 and (b) 1999, in each county of England and Wales.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 9 July 2001
	The available information, showing vacancies at January each year, has been published in table 42 of the DfES publication "Statistics of Education: Teachers, England and Wales, 2000 edition". A copy is held in the House of Commons Library, and is also available on the DfES website at www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/DB/VOL/v0220/ index.html.

Assessment

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the recent statement by the chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on the current assessment system.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 9 July 2001
	The chief executive of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) made a wide-ranging speech at the QCA Annual Conference on 26 June in which he made a number of observations about the possible future direction of the assessment system.
	QCA conducted a review of statutory assessment (ie at Key Stage 1, 2 and 3) last year at the request of Ministers. This review covered three areas: strengthening and improving the current tests; enhancing the role of ICT in the tests; and improving teachers' own skills in assessment. Ministers welcomed the range and scope of the recommendations which officials in QCA and the Department for Education and Skills are now taking forward.

Head Teachers' Forums

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the remit of the new head teachers' forums within local education authorities will be; what guidance her Department has issued to local education authorities on setting up these forums; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 10 July 2001
	My Department has no plans to establish head teachers' forums.

Free School Meals

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children are entitled to free school meals in (a) Church of England schools, (b) Roman Catholic schools, (c) schools of other Christian denominations (d) other religious schools, (e) non religious foundation schools and (f) other maintained schools.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 11 July 2001
	The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary and secondary schools: percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals by religious character, January 2000
		
			 Religious character Maintained primary schools Maintained secondary schools 
		
		
			 Church of England 12.2 11.8 
			 Roman Catholic 17.2 16.5 
			 Other religious schools(7) 10.2 7.1 
			 Non-religious schools 20.2 16.8 
		
	
	(7) Includes Methodist, schools of mixed denomination or other Christian belief, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and other religions.

Connexions Service

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many advisers have been recruited to date, and how many more will be recruited by 2005, to operate the Connexions Service; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The 12 Partnerships that went live on 1 April 2001 are in a transition stage, building up their personal adviser staff from partner organisations, including the Careers Service and Youth Service and by recruitment of new staff. It is very early days, but preliminary figures reported by Partnerships at the end of May 2001 indicate that 991 full-time equivalent personal advisers were in post.
	The Connexions Service will be rolled out nationally during 2002–03, but it has always been recognised that the service, including the number of personal advisers, would build up gradually over time. Significant additional funding—£177 million above the Careers Service baseline in 2000–01—has been announced for 2002–03. How this will translate into additional personal advisers will depend on a range of factors including locally determined rates of pay and the additional resources that Partnerships are able to secure from partner organisations. Funding for future years will be determined by the outcome of the CSR2002 exercise.

Further Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the contribution of the further education sector in raising the skills base in the United Kingdom.

John Healey: holding answer 9 July 2001
	The further education sector makes an essential contribution to delivering the skilled work force our nation requires. We are working to ensure that it is flexible and responsive to employers' changing skills needs. The sector plays a particularly important role in delivering the skills we need for craft, technician and equivalent level jobs—skills that are vital to raise our skills base and to boost productivity. Over recent years we have widened participation and increased achievements while maintaining retention rates. We have also seen significant improvements in performance and a reduction in variations in quality across the sector. Nevertheless, we have ambitions to achieve more. We have significantly increased the Standards Fund, to support raising standards in colleges, and we are spending £100 million over the next three years to develop Centres of Vocational Excellence in the sector.

Further Education

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of staff morale in the further education sector; and if she will make a statement.

John Healey: holding answer 9 July 2001
	The assessment of staff morale is a matter for colleges, as independent employers, to address in consultation with the relevant unions, just as the terms and conditions for staff are a matter for colleges to determine in discussion with relevant unions. We acknowledge that colleges need help to ensure that they have the right arrangements to recruit, reward and retain excellent teachers. Starting this year, significant extra resources amounting to an additional £300 million over the next three years have been made available to the further education sector to reward high calibre staff through our Teaching Pay Initiative, £44 million of which will be shared by sixth-form colleges. The total figure is over and above the annual pay round. In addition, we plan to implement arrangements for FE teachers of shortage subjects to benefit from 'golden hellos' comparable to those already in schools and from arrangements we are piloting to help new entrants to the profession to pay off their student loans.

Sure Start

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to authorise a further round of local sure start programmes.

Yvette Cooper: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and I have today invited the following 105 districts in England to set up 177 new sure start programmes:
	
		
			 District Number of programmes 
		
		
			 Amber Valley 1 
			 Arun 1 
			 Ashford 1 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 Barnsley 2 
			 Barrow-in-Furness 1 
			 Birmingham 6 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 2 
			 Blackpool 1 
			 Bolton 2 
			 Bradford 3 
			 Brent 1 
			 Bristol 1 
			 Burnley 1 
			 Calderdale 1 
			 Cambridge 1 
			 Camden 2 
			 Cheltenham 1 
			 Colchester 1 
			 Coventry 1 
			 Crawley 1 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1 
			 Darlington 1 1 
			 Dartford 1 
			 Derby 2 
			 Doncaster 3 
			 Durham 1 
			 Easington 1 
			 Eastbourne 1 
			 Erewash 1 
			 Gateshead 2 
			 Gedling 1 
			 Gosport 1 
			 Gravesham 1 
			 Great Yarmouth 1 
			 Greenwich 2 
			 Hackney 3 
			 Halton 2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1 
			 Haringey 3 
			 Hartlepool 1 
			 Hastings 1 
			 Hyndburn 1 
			 Islington 3 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1 
			 Kettering 1 
			 Kingston upon Hull 3 
			 Kirklees 2 
			 Knowsley 2 
			 Lambeth 3 
			 Leeds 2 
			 Leicester 3 
			 Lewisham 2 
			 Lincoln 1 
			 Liverpool 4 
			 Manchester 4 
			 Mansfield 1 
			 Merton 1 
			 Middlesbrough 2 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3 
			 Newham 4 
			 North Cornwall 1 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2 
			 North Tyneside 1 
			 Norwich 1 
			 Nottingham 3 
			 Oldham 2 
			 Pendle 1 
			 Penwith 1 
			 Peterborough 1 
			 Plymouth 2 
			 Preston 2 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2 
			 Rochdale 2 
			 Rother 1 
			 Rotherham 1 
			 Salford 2 
			 Sandwell 3 
			 Sefton 2 
			 Sheffield 3 
			 South Tyneside 2 
			 Southampton 1 
			 Southwark 3 
			 St. Helens 2 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 3 
			 Sunderland 3 
			 Tameside 1 
			 Taunton Deane 1 
			 Teignbridge 1 
			 Thanet 1 
			 Torbay 1 
			 Torridge 1 
			 Tower Hamlets 3 
			 Wakefield 1 
			 Walsall 2 
			 Waltham Forest 1 
			 Wansbeck 1 
			 Wear Valley 1 
			 Wellingborough 1 
			 Westminster 1 
			 Wirral 1 
			 Wolverhampton 2 
			 Worcester 1 
			 York 1 
		
	
	We have placed a copy of the guidance for this fifth wave of programmes in the Library.
	These new programmes are an addition to the 260 programmes which are already delivering services to young children and their families in disadvantaged areas or developing their plans for delivery from the autumn. This announcement brings the total number of sure start programmes so far announced to 437. They will become operational from summer 2002 when we will be well on schedule to meet the Public Service Agreement target of 500 programmes operating by 2004, reaching one third of all poor children aged under four and their families in England. This will be a significant contribution to the Government's aim of eradicating child poverty by 2020.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Extraditions

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign nationals have been extradited from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years.

Bob Ainsworth: No record is kept of the nationalities of those extradited from the United Kingdom. Total numbers extradited from the United Kingdom in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			 Year Total 
		
		
			 2000 (8)47 
			 1999 38 
			 1998 45 
			 1997 43 
			 1996 35 
		
	
	(8) The figure for 2000 does not include one further fugitive who was delivered to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
	The figures relate to extraditions under the Extradition Act 1989 and do not include cases governed by the provisions of the Backing of Warrants (Republic of Ireland) Act 1965. The latter are not collected centrally.

Economic Crime

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to combat economic crime; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The Government fully recognise the harm which economic crime inflicts on its victims, not only in terms of the financial loss but in terms of the frustration and inconvenience caused. Living off the proceeds of crime cannot be tolerated in a fair and just society, and the Government are determined that crime should not pay.
	The Proceeds of Crime Bill, which was announced in the Queen's Speech, will attack the profit motive which drives organised criminals. The Bill will contain measures to deprive people of money and property which they have obtained through criminal activity. These measures include reforming confiscation procedures and modernising the criminal law on money laundering and the creation of a new agency, the National Confiscation Agency (NCA), which will co-ordinate the activity of the police, Customs, the Inland Revenue and prosecutors to remove assets obtained illegally and to encourage international co-operation in this. Removing illegal gains from criminals not only acts as a deterrent but reduces their ability to fund further crime.
	A large proportion of economic crime involves credit card fraud. The Home Office is currently working closely with the financial institutions and the retail sector to reduce credit card fraud by the introduction of chip cards and personal identification numbers as security safeguards. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State responsible for policing of crime and community safety will be chairing a meeting with senior members of these industries to discuss credit card fraud issues later this month.
	In addition to this, a working group led by the Serious Fraud Office has been formed to investigate how we can improve the overall response to fraud. The group will be reporting to Ministers later in the year.

Economic Crime

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate his Department has made for the cost of (a) credit card fraud, (b) other fraud and (c) all economic crime in each of the last six years.

Bob Ainsworth: The information is as follows:
	(a) The banking industry (the Association of Payment Clearing Services) estimated that the cost of total reported losses due to credit card fraud in each of the last six years was:
	
		
			   £ million 
		
		
			 1995 83.3 
			 1996 97.1 
			 1997 122.0 
			 1998 135.0 
			 1999 188.4 
			 2000 292.6 
		
	
	(b) A report commissioned by the Home Office and the Serious Fraud Office entitled 'The Economic Cost of Fraud' (copies of which have been placed in the Library) was published in March 2000 by National Economic Research Associates. This report recognised that the available data were patchy and infrequently gathered, but offered a low estimate of £6.6 billion and a high estimate of £13.6 billion for the total economic cost of other fraud (excluding credit card fraud) for the year ending 1999. These estimates include amounts defrauded, investigation and deterrence costs.
	(c) There is no accepted definition of "economic crime". However, Home Office Research Study no. 217 "The economic and social cost of crime" (copies of which have been placed in the Library) estimated that in total, fraud, commercial and public sector victimisation and property crimes against households and individuals cost around £32 billion in 1999–2000. Estimates have not been made for previous years.

Privacy Screens

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will provide finance for privacy screens in cells which are used for eating, sleeping and integral sanitation.

Beverley Hughes: In June this year the Prison Service approved funding of £1 million for a programme to install privacy screening in 6,500 or so cells across its estate currently without such provision. Arrangements are in hand to manufacture the screens to the newly approved standard. A programme of installation is expected to begin in this financial year and take about 12 months to complete.

Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many (a) individuals and (b) organisations giving immigration advice for profit are registered with the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner; and how many such organisations are in the process of registering with the OISC;
	(2)  what the planned total expenditure budget is of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner in 2001–02;
	(3)  what the projected total income budgets of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner are for (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03;
	(4)  how many complaints against an immigration adviser have been (a) received and (b) determined by the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner since 30 April;
	(5)  if he will provide a breakdown of the staff complement of the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner.

Angela Eagle: I understand that, as of 10 July 2001, the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) had received 150 registration applications from immigration advisers in business for profit. Of these, 94 were from sole practitioners, of which 55 are now registered, and 56 were from organisations comprising two or more practitioners, of which 43 are now registered. Forty-nine applications are still under consideration; three have been withdrawn.
	The OISC total expenditure budget for the current financial year awaits approval by the relevant Minister of State. I will write to the hon. Member.
	As of 10 July, the OISC had received 56 complaints since 30 April, of which five have been determined.
	In addition to the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, the OISC currently employs 46 people, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Casework 21 
			 Complaints 9 
			 Registry 4 
			 Support 12 
			  
			 Total 46 
		
	
	Based on the number of registration applications received so far, it is expected that total income from registration fees this financial year will be around £400,000. This may increase, depending on how many more registration applications are received. Registration fee income is expected to be broadly similar in 2002–03 but this will be augmented by fees from designated professional bodies, which are to be set by the Secretary of State after the first full year of the OISC's operation.

Anti-drugs Co-ordinator

Nick Hawkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the future role of the UK Anti-drugs Co-ordinator and his deputy.

David Blunkett: holding answer 25 June 2001
	We are currently in the process of re-appointing Keith Hellawell to a part-time role assisting with the investigation of, and advice on, international drug-related issues. Mike Trace, the former Deputy Co-ordinator, has taken a short-term appointment with the National Treatment Agency and will also continue to provide advice on relevant issues.

Feltham Young Offenders Prison

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed at Feltham Young Offenders Prison in each of the last five years.

Beverley Hughes: The information requested is set out in the table.
	
		Full-time equivalents 
		
			  Number of staff in post at 31 March  
		
		
			 1997 523.7 
			 1998 538.7 
			 1999 518.4 
			 2000 622.6 
			 2001 627.8

Natural Cannabis

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to re-schedule natural cannabis for medicinal use.

Bob Ainsworth: holding answer 9 July 2001
	We have no plans at present. The Government have made it clear that they would be willing to amend the misuse of drugs legislation, to allow the prescribing of a cannabis- based medicine, if current clinical trials into the therapeutic benefits of cannabis are scientifically established and lead to a medical preparation which is approved by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA).
	It would be premature to amend the legislation unless and until the quality, safety and efficacy of such a medicine have been demonstrated and a marketing authorisation has been issued for it by the MCA.

Aircraft Accidents

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidelines and procedures govern the ability to hold an inquest in respect of (a) military aircraft accidents and (b) civil aircraft accidents (i) in advance of and (ii) following an air accident inquiry report.

Beverley Hughes: It is a matter for the coroner to decide on the conduct of his or her investigations and to proceed to an inquest. Where a death arises from a civil aircraft accident, the coroner will generally seek to ensure that inquiries are informed by any relevant reports or written statements from other agencies, including the Air Accidents Investigation Branch and, in relation to military aircraft, any reports produced by a Ministry of Defence Board of Inquiry.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the number of antisocial behaviour orders that have been successfully sought since their introduction.

David Blunkett: pursuant to his reply, 2 July 2001, c.7
	The figures for antisocial behaviour orders issued between 1 April 1999 and 31 March 2001 have been revised from 214 to 215 and the number of police force areas where such orders have been issued now stands at 34 not 33.

Forensic Science Service

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will lay before Parliament the annual report for the Forensic Science Service.

John Denham: Copies of the Forensic Science Service's Annual Report and Accounts for 2000–01 have today been laid before Parliament.
	Performance against Agency Targets 2000–01:
	The Forensic Science Service had eight targets in 2000–01, of which seven were met.
	Financial targets:
	An 11 per cent. return on capital employed was produced against a target of 10–15 per cent.
	A three-year rolling efficiency gain of 9 per cent. was achieved against a target of 10 per cent. However, there has been a 10 per cent. improvement in efficiency gain in the last two years since Trading Fund.
	Timeliness targets:
	An average turnaround time of 26 days was achieved against a target of 27 days; this target was rebased from the original target of 24 days to take account of the change in mix of business and work content per job.
	93 per cent. of agreed delivery dates were achieved against a target of 90 per cent.
	A feasibility study on a target to achieve 99 per cent. agreed delivery dates on cases classified as urgent or critical was successfully piloted. As a result, an agreement was reached with the Association of Chief Police Officers on the definition of critical cases and procedures implemented to ensure cases submitted are correctly prioritised.
	Service level target:
	Three service level agreements, three best value agreements and 27 drugs best value agreements have been put in place with police forces.
	Customer satisfaction target:
	Improvements in customer satisfaction have been shown in a pilot of a transactional-based approach. This will be introduced as an Agency Target next year.
	Quality targets:
	External quality accreditation has been achieved and extended, including achieving the Investors in People award.
	Agency Targets for 2001–02:
	The targets for 2001–02, the agency's third year of trading fund, are as follows:
	Financial targets:
	Achieve a 10 per cent. return on capital employed.
	Achieve a 3-year rolling target of a minimum 10 per cent. efficiency gain.
	Timeliness targets:
	Achieve a 26 day average turnaround time.
	Meet agreed delivery dates in 97 per cent. urgent and critical, 100 per cent. of Persistent Young Offenders.
	Achieve 93 per cent. of agreed delivery dates in all categories.
	Service level targets:
	Put in place agreements on levels of service with 90 per cent. of police forces.
	Customer Satisfaction targets:
	Establish a baseline overall measure putting into place routine and robust customer satisfaction measurement processes based on transactional approach, and for demonstrating year on year improvements in police (customer) satisfaction.
	Conduct a biennial customer satisfaction survey.
	Quality targets:
	Maintain external quality accreditation to International Standards Organisation (ISO) standards.
	Achieve 50 per cent. accreditation to the Council for the Registration of Forensic Practitioners in areas which it is registering people.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Communications White Paper

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she plans to introduce legislation to implement the reforms to the regulatory structure proposed in the communications White Paper.

Douglas Alexander: I am pleased to announce that this afternoon the Government will introduce in another place the Office of Communications Bill. This Bill will be a paving measure related to the draft Communications Bill that was announced in the Queen's speech. The Communications Bill itself will be published in draft later this session.

Manufacturing Industry

Andy Burnham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken by her Department to support manufacturing industry.

Harry Barnes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken by her Department to support manufacturing industry.

Melanie Johnson: The platform of economic stability the Government have established, together with our policies to foster enterprise and help firms to innovate and grow, are the best way to secure the long-term success of UK manufacturing industry.

Industrial Diseases (Compensation)

Rachel Squire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on progress on the settlement of claims for compensation for chronic bronchitis, emphysema and vibration white finger.

Patricia Hewitt: My hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and Energy has recently visited the respiratory disease testing centres in Newport and Ayr, as well as the Department's claims handling agents in Sheffield, to meet some of the 1,000 medical and claims processing staff employed by our contractors in the settlement of these claims and to discuss the progress that has been made over the last six months.
	In total we have now paid out nearly £470 million in compensation for respiratory and vibration related diseases, with over £33 million being paid in Scotland alone.

Offshore Oil and Gas Production

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the level of new capital investment in UK offshore oil and gas production to date this year.

Douglas Alexander: The latest figures provided by the industry show capital investment in UK oil and gas production at some £860 million for the first quarter of 2001. This is 37 per cent. higher than investment in the first quarter of 2000, giving encouragement that the efforts of the Government/industry PILOT initiative are bearing fruit.

Women (Public Life)

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to ensure Government Departments encourage more women to participate in public life.

Patricia Hewitt: We are determined to achieve more equal representation of men and women in public appointments. Each Government Department has an action plan containing clear goals and objectives to help them achieve this aim. I will be encouraging my ministerial colleagues throughout Government to ensure that their Departments meets its goals.
	We are also committed to preparing legislation to enable political parties to make positive moves to increase the representation of women in public life.

Energy Supply

Nick Palmer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on long-term changes in sources of UK energy supply.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 18W, that he has asked the performance and innovation unit to undertake a review of the options for meeting our long-term energy objectives. A key issue will be ensuring continued security and diversity of energy supplies over the long term, while addressing the challenge of climate change. I shall be chairing an Advisory Group for the project which will report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister by the end of the year.
	It would therefore be premature for me to make a statement on the long-term changes in sources of UK energy supply now.

Renewable Energy

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on support for the renewables energy industries.

Brian Wilson: The Renewables Obligation on licensed electricity suppliers will provide a strong regulatory and financial incentive to the renewable energy industries. An order setting up the Obligation will be placed before Parliament later this year.
	The Government have exempted electricity from renewable energy from the climate change levy and are also providing over £260 million of direct financial support over the next three years for research, development and deployment of renewable energy technologies.

Broadband Telecommunications (Rural Areas)

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the availability of broadband telecommunications in rural areas.

Douglas Alexander: The Government have made a commitment to work to ensure that broadband is accessible in all parts of the country. In May, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced a major new project to determine how to speed up the roll-out of broadband services to individuals and businesses in rural and other areas that individual suppliers currently see as uncommercial. The project will establish how, by aggregating the public sector's demand for broadband services, we can best encourage telecoms companies to roll out broadband infrastructure to these "hard to reach" areas.

Parliamentary Candidates (Women)

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to increase the number of women candidates for Parliament.

Patricia Hewitt: We have a made a commitment to prepare legislation to enable political parties to make positive moves to increase the representation of women in public life.

Minimum Wage (Wales)

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of how the national minimum wage is benefiting people in Wales.

Alan Johnson: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated that 100,000 workers in Wales became entitled to a higher rate of pay when the national minimum wage (NMW) was introduced on 1 April 1999. The ONS estimates that around 90,000 workers in Wales will benefit from the increases in the NMW main rate and development rate to £4.10 and hour and £3.50 respectively on 1 October 2001.

Miners' Compensation

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to speed up coal-related compensation payments in the former east Kent coalfield area.

Brian Wilson: As my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Mrs. Liddell), informed my hon. Friend at the end of last year, we recognise that the start-up of the respiratory disease scheme was too slow. We took a number of initiatives to tackle this and get money out more quickly.
	Significant progress is now being made, and since the beginning of the year the number of medical assessments GB-wide has risen to around 830 a week, with the total number increasing from 8,500 in January to over 24,000 now.
	In the south of England alone we paid out nearly £7 million in compensation for respiratory and vibration related diseases.

Scientific Research Councils

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to review the joint workings of the scientific Research Councils.

Patricia Hewitt: A quinquennial review of the six grant-awarding Research Councils was announced by my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 13 February 2001, Official Report, columns 82–83W. This review is in progress, and expects to report in the early autumn. The councils are being reviewed together as a group. One of the issues under consideration is how to encourage joint working among the councils, both at a strategic and operational level.

Retail Businesses (Town Centres)

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she is taking to encourage new retail businesses to start up in town centres.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Service, through the networks of 45 Business Links, encourages entrepreneurship across society and is placing particular emphasis on start-ups and micro-businesses. Business Link advisers are actively involved in helping such start-ups, including new retail businesses and in so doing address various factors, including finding a suitable location. This is often done in partnership with local authorities, who will have a detailed knowledge of town centre sites.

Consumer Protection

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further steps her Department is taking to protect the interests of consumers.

Melanie Johnson: The Enterprise Bill will promote the interests of consumers through creating a more enterprising economy, taking swift action against rogue traders and clamping down on anti-competitive practices.

Coal Industry

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of UK deep-mined coal in the context of competitive energy markets.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced on 25 June 2001, Official Report, column 18W, that he has asked the Performance and Innovation Unit to undertake a review of the options for meeting our long-term energy objectives. We will examine all aspects of energy policy, including the role of coal in our future energy balance. I shall be chairing an Advisory Group for the project which will report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister by the end of the year. It would therefore be premature for me to make a statement on the future of UK deep-mined coal now.

Hat Industry

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the UK hat industry about its prospects.

Brian Wilson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has not yet had an opportunity to discuss competitiveness issues with representatives of the UK hat industry but I can confirm that the Chairman of the British Hat Guild wrote to my right hon. Friend on the 19 June informing her of the problems facing the industry and seeking financial support.
	Officials in the Department's Consumer Goods and Services Directorate have been in dialogue with the Guild and as part of that process had a meeting with the Guild earlier this year. Officials are currently updating a competitiveness analysis of the sector with a view to identifying appropriate project opportunities for the Guild to develop. The letter from the Guild Chairman contributes to developing and continuing this constructive dialogue.

Climate Change Levy

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from business about the impact of the climate change levy on business.

Brian Wilson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given earlier today by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for E-Commerce and Competitiveness to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess), Official Report, column 914.

Mobile Telephones

Richard Allan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Oftel concerning the cost of landline to mobile telephone connections.

Douglas Alexander: Oftel and DTI Ministers regularly discuss their respective responsibilities for telecommunications. In this context, the Director General of Telecommunications has briefed me on current Oftel issues. These include Oftel's mobile market review and calls to mobile review. Landline to mobile telephone connections costs are covered in the latter. A decision on this issue is solely a matter for Oftel.

Gas Prices

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact of increased non-domestic gas prices upon UK manufacturing.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government are very much aware that, despite the recent easing of wholesale gas prices, many manufacturing companies have seen a substantial increase in their gas bills over the past year. We consider that the main reason behind this price increase is arbitrage across the UK-Belgian interconnector with high oil related gas prices in Europe. This has been made worse by the lack of liberalisation in Europe and the consequent absence of competition between gas suppliers.
	The Government are pressing a three-point strategy to address this issue—working for greater liberalisation in Europe, improving the GB market, and taking action against any anti-competitive behaviour.

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Nigel Griffiths: The Government's support for small and medium enterprises is delivered through the Small Business Service, which was created in April 2000 to act as the focal point within Government for all small business issues and services. During its first year, it has developed a number of new services in areas such as venture capital, support for farmers and services to tackle social exclusion and encourage enterprise. It has restructured the local Business Link network and developed a national Business Link network and developed a national Business Link contact centre and website. It has also ensured that the concerns of small firms are understood and promoted within Government. It will be further developing and extending these services in the current year.

Trade Unions

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met representatives of the TUC to discuss trade unions.

Alan Johnson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met Mr. John Monks, General Secretary of the TUC, on Monday 11 June.

Huntingdon Life Sciences

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to publish details of her Department's financial support for Huntingdon Life Sciences; what precedent she intends her support to set; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department has undertaken to operate banking facilities for Huntingdon Life Sciences, which—owing to intimidation of bank staff by animal rights extremists—has been unable to find commercial facilities in the UK, while negotiations with banks continue. It is not giving overdraft facilities or other financial support to Huntingdon Life Sciences. My Department will be recovering the direct costs of providing this service from the company.
	My Department is operating the banking facilities in particularly unusual circumstances. The intimidation and harassment of providers of financial services to a particular company carrying out a legitimate and strictly regulated business is, the Government believe, unique. It is not intended that Government should become a "supplier of last resort" for any company that experiences temporary difficulties. However, the Government as a whole are determined that vital research and safety testing should not be disrupted and legitimate businesses should not be forced out of business by the criminal activities of animal extremists.

Petrol Retailing

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent analysis she has made of the state of competitiveness within the petrol retailing sector.

Melanie Johnson: Under UK Competition legislation, the Director General of Fair Trading is responsible for monitoring markets and considering allegations of anti-competitive behaviour.
	The DGFT has investigated the petrol retail industry a number of times in recent years and has found it to be competitive. He has said that he will continue to monitor the market very closely.

Compulsory Share Purchase

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is her estimate of the value of shares which privatised companies were given the power to obtain compulsorily but which the shareholder refused to sell since 1991; what has happened to those shares and what the arrangements are under which they are held; what plans the Government have to end this compulsion element; and if she will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: No figures relating to the value of shares in privatised companies which have been compulsorily purchased under the terms of the Companies Act 1985 are readily available and any estimate of the value could only be ascertained at disproportionate cost. Shareholders who have refused to sell shares which have been subject to a compulsory purchase notice will have had their shares transferred to the purchaser and the money to buy the shares held in trust until it is paid over to them.
	The compulsory purchase of shares has been considered by the Company Law Review. The Review's conclusions will be set out in its final report which is due to be published in the summer.

Consumers' Rights

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to promote consumers' rights.

Melanie Johnson: The Enterprise Bill will promote the interests of consumers through creating a more enterprising economy, taking swift action against rogue traders and clamping down on anti-competitive practices.

Retail Code of Practice

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to implement a retail code of practice; and if she will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 9 July 2001
	In its October 2000 report on the supply of groceries, the Competition Commission recommended that a code of practice be established governing the way leading supermarkets treated their suppliers. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry asked the Director General of Fair Trading to agree a code with the relevant supermarkets. He has recently submitted his advice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry.

Cheque Shops

Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals she has for monitoring the operations of cheque shops.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 11 July 2001
	This is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading.

Money Lenders

Tony Worthington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about extortionate credit; and if she will make a statement on her policy in this area.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 11 July 2001
	My Department has received many representations on this issue, mainly from consumer groups. I recognise that it is vital that consumers are protected against exploitative lending practices and I am now considering what action the Government can take to ensure this.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Working Families Tax Credit

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many Housing Benefit recipients are in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the impact on the estimated number of Housing Benefit claimants also in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit, if the Working Families Tax Credit threshold was increased to (a) £120, (b) £150 and (c) £200.

Malcolm Wicks: Details of the number of people claiming the Working Families Tax Credit who also receive Housing Benefit will be included in the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Annual Summary Statistics May 2000. These will be published on 26 July 2001 and a copy will be placed in the Library.
	These figures will be the first drawn from actual claims data. Any estimates made in advance of their publication will be substantially less accurate.
	Estimates of the change in numbers of Housing Benefit recipients also in receipt of the Working Families Tax Credit caused by hypothetical changes to the Working Families Tax Credit threshold can be derived from the Department's Policy Simulation Model (2001–02). This information is in the table.
	
		Estimated number of recipients of both Housing Benefit and Working Families Tax Credit
		
			 Working Families Tax Credit threshold Number 
		
		
			 £120 30,000 
			 £150 50,000 
			 £200 70,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The estimated number of Housing Benefit and Working Families Tax Credit recipients is rounded to the nearest 10,000.
	2. The estimates calibrate survey totals using the numbers of non-Income Support working age families [with earnings] receiving Housing Benefit picked up on the Policy Simulation Model compared to administrative data, as a proxy for the Working Families Tax Credit and Housing Benefit group.

Housing Benefit Fraud

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the estimates of Housing Benefit fraud detected, expressed as a proportion of Housing Benefit expenditure for each local authority for 1999–2000, will be released.

Malcolm Wicks: The weekly benefit savings scheme provides a measure of benefit fraud detected by local authorities. A table providing the information requested expressed in terms of weekly benefit savings for the year 1999–2000 has been placed in the Library.
	We have announced that the weekly benefit savings scheme is to be replaced by a new, more comprehensive anti-fraud incentive scheme which aims to provide greater financial rewards to authorities which uncover more fraud and prosecute fraudsters. The new incentive scheme will also make extra provision for those local authorities who operate the Department's Verification Framework. 63 local authorities have adopted the new scheme from April 2001 with the remaining local authorities switching to the new scheme from April 2002.

New Deal

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those aged over 50 years in each region and nation of the UK have returned to work with the support of the New Deal for the over-50s programme.

Nick Brown: The information is in the table:
	
		Results of the New Deal 50+ programme (April 2000-May 2001)
		
			 Region Number returning to work 
		
		
			 Northern 2,300 
			 North West 4,700 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 4,300 
			 West Midlands 3,700 
			 East Midlands and Eastern 4,300 
			 South West 4,000 
			 London and the South East 7,700 
			 Scotland 4,900 
			 Wales 2,900 
			 Northern Ireland 800 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. All figures are rounded to the nearest hundred
	2. The Department for Work and Pensions is not responsible for the operation of the New Deal 50+ in Northern Ireland

Incapacity Benefit

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage and how many Incapacity Benefit claimants were re-tested after (a) six months, (b) 12 months, (c) 18 months, (d) two years and (e) three years in the period April 1995 to June 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 10 July 2001
	Information on the number of people claiming Incapacity Benefit who are re-tested is not collected separately.

ELTEC

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the assets and financial surpluses that were transferred from ELTEC to the Learning and Skills Council for Lancashire.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	East Lancashire TEC (ELTEC) has transferred £7,000 worth of its computers and other equipment to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for Lancashire as well as providing similar support to the new Business Link in Lancashire. The transfer of any cash surpluses will be finalised after the TEC has completed its statutory accounts for the year ended March 2001 and appointed a liquidator to wind up the company.
	Current estimates suggest that some £1.4 million will be made available to the Lancashire LSC to take forward local initiatives in east Lancashire and a further £1.3 million will go to support Individual Learning Accounts for local people.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Sheep Quota

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with her European counterparts regarding the possibility of buying up sheep quota.

Elliot Morley: We have had no discussions with the Commission on buying up sheep quotas. We will be discussing more generally with the Commission the problems of the sheep market as a result of foot and mouth disease.

Correspondence

Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 9 April on behalf of his constituent Ms Halford.

Elliot Morley: I replied to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire on 10 July 2001.

Fur Farming

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will issue the order that will specify the deadline for the end of fur farming.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 July 2001
	The Government anticipate that the commencement order setting the date of the ban on fur farming under the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000 will be made at the same time as the order setting out the details of the compensation scheme. This is expected to be later this year, following consultation on the compensation scheme during the summer.

Fur Farming

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fur farms are (a) licensed and (b) currently operating in England and Wales; and if he will list their locations by county.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 July 2001
	As at 9 July 2001, there were the following mink farms in England:
	
		
			  County  Number of licensed mink farms Number of licensed mink farms currently operating 
		
		
			 Cornwall 1 — 
			 Dorset 1 — 
			 Hampshire 1 1 
			 Isle of Wight 1 — 
			 Lancashire 5 4 
			 Northumberland 1 — 
			 Staffordshire 1 — 
			 West Yorkshire 1 1 
			  
			 Total 12 6 
		
	
	The number of fur farms in Wales is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. However, I understand that there are currently no licensed fur farms in Wales.

Departmental Title Change Costs

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the total cost of (a) design, (b) stationery, (c) new name plaques and (d) other costs of the naming of her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 10 July 2001
	Our records currently show the following expenditure as being related to the naming of the New Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
	
		
			   £ 
		
		
			 (a) Design Conceptual design and graphics 4,200 
			 (b) Stationery Print-related expenditure 21,804 
			 (c) New name plaques New name plaques 4,763 
			 (d) Miscellaneous Production, installation of signage and photographic charges 1,977 
			  Forms control costs (including software) 950 
			  The preparation of designs, graphics manufacture and the production of signage with alternative departmental names, which were not chosen. 14,798 
		
	
	Note:
	All expenditure is in sterling and exclusive of VAT.

Foot and Mouth

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will make a statement on the causes and transmission of the foot and mouth epidemic.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 3 July 2001
	The current epidemic has been caused by a specific strain of the foot and mouth virus (PanAsian Strain O) which has occurred in a number of countries around the world. The precise means of the introduction of the virus into Great Britain is unknown and the subject of continuing investigations, but is most likely to have been introduced in imported meat or meat products. The virus was primarily transmitted throughout a large proportion of the susceptible farm livestock population of Great Britain via sales of subclinically infected sheep through markets, via dealers and local sales between farms before 23 February when all animal movements were banned. The specific means of transmission between herds and flocks has been the subject of detailed epidemiological investigations of each infected premises. The results of these investigations are summarised in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of cases Percentage of cases 
		
		
			 Airborne(9) 7 (11)1 
			 Dairy tanker 5 (11)1 
			 Infected animals 84 5 
			 Local spread 1,381 81 
			 Other fomite(10) 9 1 
			 Person 60 4 
			 Truck 18 1 
			 Under investigation 142 8 
			  
			 Total 1,706 100 
		
	
	(9) Cases infected by windborne spread from infected pigs
	(10) A fomite is defined as any inanimate object capable of carrying the virus
	(11) Less than

Foot and Mouth

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the proposal to prevent the movement of new animals from a farm for 20 days during the short market season, on farmers owning rams and breeding sheep; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: A standstill would have slowed down the rapid livestock movements that helped spread foot and mouth disease. The Government are reviewing their proposals in the light of responses to the consultation exercise; they have decided to make this issue part of a total approach to future disease control, which will also include biosecurity, animal identification and licensing. This will allow fuller veterinary and economic assessments to be carried out. In the meantime, current movement licensing controls will continue.

Foot and Mouth

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the verification procedures used in countries with foot and mouth disease to ensure that meat exported to the United Kingdom from the non-infected part of the country is not contaminated.

Elliot Morley: Community law requires any member state that has an outbreak of foot and mouth disease not to export fresh meat from within an infected area to any other member state. Responsibility for ensuring compliance lies with the competent authority of the affected member state. For third countries, EC rules require exports of all foot and mouth disease susceptible products to be accompanied by veterinary health certification that guarantees that the meat does not come from a region infected with foot and mouth disease. All imports from third countries of foot and mouth disease susceptible products must enter through UK Border Inspection Posts where they undergo checks to verify they comply with Community import conditions. It is the responsibility of the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission by means of inspection visits to ensure that member states are complying with Community law and that third countries have in place appropriate disease control measures to ensure they meet Community import conditions.

Foot and Mouth

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what inspections her officials have made of countries with foot and mouth disease which are exporting meat and meat products to the United Kingdom; and if she will place the inspector's report in the Library.

Elliot Morley: The responsibility for animal and public health inspections of member states and third countries which export meat and meat products to the EU lies with the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Commission. The report of their inspections, which may include countries which have foot and mouth disease are available from the Commission's website at the following address: http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/food/ fs/inspections/vi/reports/index–en.html.

Foot and Mouth

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the countries which have had foot and mouth disease in the last six months from which Britain is importing meat or meat products.

Elliot Morley: The following countries have had outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in the six-month period from 1 January 2001 and may export meat and meat products into the European Community including Great Britain:
	Brazil
	Uruguay
	South Africa
	France
	The Netherlands
	Republic of Ireland.

"Vipers"

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library the report entitled "Vipers", which was presented to the EU in August 2000.

Elliot Morley: My officials would be happy to assist the right hon. Member but it is regretted that a thorough search has been found no trace of a report entitled "Vipers" presented to the EU in August 2000. If the right hon. Member could provide further information my officials would be happy to look into this matter.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many underground storage tanks are considered to be at risk of leakage in the UK.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	The Environment Agency estimates that there are approximately 14,000 petrol stations in England and Wales with some 60,000–70,000 underground storage tanks. The risk of leakage at these facilities arises not only from the storage tanks but also pipework and pump delivery systems, including delivery of fuel to the site. HSE does not have information on the number of underground storage tanks at risk of leakage in the UK. However, local authority petroleum enforcement officers issue licences under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 to retail petrol outlets to ensure the safe storage of petrol. Conditions attached to these licences specify arrangements to prevent and detect leaks.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to introduce a new licensing agreement for petrol retailers using underground storage tanks.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE has no plans to establish new licensing arrangements but this topic will form part of the review currently being conducted into modernising petrol legislation.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many leakages from underground storage tanks have been reported in each of the past five years; how many have resulted in prosecution; how many have caused environmental damage; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE does not collect statistics on how many leakages from underground storage tanks have been reported. The Environment Agency's prosecution database runs only from January 1999 and does not provide narrative in respect of prosecutions. The failure to report leakage or the fact of such leakage from a storage tank would not therefore be specifically identified and case-by-case information would be disproportionately expensive to obtain. If leakage from a petrol tank occurred a prosecution would be likely to be based on the leakage itself and the resulting pollution or a breach of a licence condition.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to commission a full condition audit of underground storage tanks in the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE and the Environment Agency have no plans to commission a full condition audit of all underground storage tanks in the UK. There are a number of Environment Agency initiatives aimed at preventing pollution from such tanks and associated facilities. In general, these approaches focus on factors such as the condition of the facility, their age and environmental sensitivity, and the potential consequences of leakage in Environment Agency groundwater protection zones. In addition, local authority petroleum enforcement officers issue licences under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 to retail petrol outlets to ensure the safe storage of petrol. Conditions attached to these licences specify arrangements to prevent and detect leaks.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many field visits and inspections were made by environmental health officers to petrol retail outlets using underground storage tanks during each of the past five years.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE does not collect statistics on the number of field visits and inspections made by environmental health officers to petrol retail outlets using underground storage tanks. Local authority petroleum officers issue licences under the Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928 to petrol retail outlets to ensure the safe storage of petrol.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish a new petroleum authority (a) to regulate and (b) license companies providing offsite wetstock monitoring to ensure they have adequate professional indemnity insurance.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE has no plans to establish new petroleum authorities but this topic will form part of the review currently being conducted into modernising petrol legislation.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received proposing the introduction of a regulatory regime for underground storage tanks used by petrol retailers; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	HSE has not received any representations about the introduction of a regulatory regime for underground storage tanks but this topic will form part of the review currently being conducted into modernising petrol legislation.

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial aid is available to small independent petrol retailers to help upgrade underground storage tanks and pipes to avoid future leakages; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no financial help available in England and Wales. The Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise do offer assistance through the Rural Petrol Stations Grant Scheme, which is aimed at improving the environmental performance of such sites, by replacement and upgrade. Grants are available up to 50 per cent. of the cost of work. They are able to do this because Environmental protection is a devolved power (to Scotland).

Petrol Safety

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will issue a code of practice for petrol retailers using underground storage tanks from which site managers can benchmark their performance.

Alan Whitehead: I have been asked to reply.
	DEFRA is currently preparing a Code of Practice, with a view to public consultation, which should help petrol retailers comply with the requirements of the groundwater regulations as they impact on the storage of petrol in underground tanks. It is intended that the Code of Practice will be issued in due course. In addition, there is substantial guidance material available in the Institute of Petroleum/Association for Petrol and Explosive Administrators' document "Guidance for the Design, Construction, Modification and Maintenance of Petrol Filling Stations".

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Railtrack

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made by Railtrack in the creation of an in-house comparator for engineering work.

John Spellar: Railtrack has acknowledged that changes are needed to its relationship with its contractors as part of its new approach to infrastructure engineering. I understand that the company is undertaking a full review of this contractual interface, to establish what changes are needed to clarify responsibilities for safe and effective delivery, which asset management activities Railtrack should continue to outsource, and which can be managed more effectively by bringing them in-house.

A565

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to maintain the A565 between Bootle and the Seaforth flyover.

David Jamieson: I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Tim Matthews to Mrs. Curtis-Thomas, dated 12 July 2001
	The Transport Minister, David Jamieson, has asked me to reply to your recent question about plans to maintain the A565 trunk road between Bootle and the Seaforth Flyover.
	I am aware of your previous concerns about the appearance of the A565—which is currently a trunk road maintained by this Agency. As you may know, we have announced proposals to "detrunk" this section of the A565 and it is planned that ownership and management responsibility for the road will transfer to the Local Authority, Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council, by June 2003. Until then we will continue to maintain the road through our Managing Agent, Lancashire County Council's Highways Consultancy.
	In my letter of 6 February (copy enclosed) I said that we intended to work with Sefton's Cleaning Services Manager to improve the standard of street sweeping and litter removal. Unfortunately, progress on improving the appearance of the Bootle to Seaforth Flyover section of the road has not been as swift as I would have liked, for which I apologise. We have inspected this stretch of road on several occasions since I wrote to you. The only significant issue concerns the ongoing problems with the standard of sweeping and cleaning of the road provided by Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council. As a result, we have, as an extra measure, instructed our Term Maintenance Contractor, Edmund Nuttall Ltd., to remove all weeds by hand and to clear the detritus within the next fortnight. In addition to this, we are in discussion with the Council's Cleaning Services Manager with regards to road sweeping and cleaning. Regular cleaning is important to inhibit weed growth, preventing the build up of material that allows them to grow, and increasing the effectiveness of spraying them. We expect to see improvements to the road's appearance as a result of these measures in the near future.
	If you would like any further information about this matter, you may wish to contact the Agency's Project Sponsor for this section of route, Alex Miller, as Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza, Manchester, M1 4BE (telephone 0161 930 5627).

Mobile Phone Masts

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress concerning the revision of planning rules and guidelines for mobile phone masts.

Sally Keeble: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 17W.

Farm Diversification

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if (a) car boot sales, (b) the use of existing farm buildings for commercial or residential purposes and (c) the development of small-scale residential buildings on existing farmland fall within his definition of farm diversification projects.

Sally Keeble: National planning policy for the diversification of farm business into non-agricultural activities is contained in Planning Policy Guidance note 7 (PPG7): Countryside—Environmental Quality and Economic and Social Development. PPG7 does not include a definition of farm diversification, although Annex C to the guidance includes a non-exclusive list of examples of potential farm diversification. PPG7 was amended on 21 March to encourage local planning authorities to be more supportive of well-conceived farm diversification schemes for business purposes that are consistent in their scale with their rural location. Local planning authorities should set out in their development plans the criteria to be applied to planning applications for farm diversification projects. It is a matter in the first instance for local planning authorities to consider each application on its own merits, taking into account their development plan policies and national guidance.
	The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (GPDO) grants a general planning permission for the temporary use of land for up to 28 days in any calendar year, subject to a number of restrictions and conditions. From car boot sales, the permitted use is limited to 14 days.

Millennium Dome

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2001 Official Report, column 140W, on the dome, what recommendations have been made by the Health and Safety Executive regarding public access to the dome building.

Sally Keeble: No recommendations have been made by the Health and Safety Executive in this regard. While decommissioning works are taking place at the dome, it is covered by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994, which relate to the execution of works and management of the site. As a result, there is currently no public access to the dome site.

London Underground

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the preferred bidders for the London Underground will be handed operational control of their franchises.

David Jamieson: The private sector will not be handed operational control of the Underground. London Underground will continue to own and run the Underground. The successful bidders for three infrastructure contracts will work for London Underground, bringing their construction and project management expertise to achieve the modernisation and maintenance of the Underground, on time and on budget. The Government want to see London Underground complete its work to finalise the contracts as quickly as possible so that work can start soon to deliver a 21st Century Tube.

Transport Direct

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to introduce the transport direct booking and information system.

David Jamieson: Transport Direct is designed for people to plan their journeys and to compare routes and prices. It will cover all types of transport within the UK—air, rail, coach, bus and car.
	Transport Direct will do three things:
	tell the traveller what choices they have when they are planning their journey;
	allow the traveller to book and pay for their journey at the time of making their inquiry, and receive their travel authority/ ticket(s); and
	advise the traveller about how their chosen travel option is performing in real-time before they set off.
	Transport Direct will be delivered in phases over a number of years. By 2003 we expect it to include:
	real-time train operating information (that is actual rather than timetabled);
	real-time information on many local bus services;
	internet travel information, covering road journeys as well as all forms of public transport at a single point of contact;
	internet booking of long-distance journeys involving different forms of transport; and
	development of internet-based maps that allow travellers to examine public transport options both for visiting a specific venue and for general travel around an area.
	Traveline, the national public transport information system and a precursor to Transport Direct, is now available throughout Great Britain. It provides route and timetable information for bus, coach, tram, underground, train, ferry and metro through a national-rate call to a single telephone number—0870 608 2 608.

Bus Services

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what actions his Department has taken in the past 12 months to improve bus frequencies and enhance off-peak and night bus services.

Sally Keeble: Outside London, it is primarily for local authorities to secure any necessary bus services not provided commercially. We are assisting by providing additional funding for buses through the continuation of the rural bus grant and challenge schemes—with 20 per cent. of the former now available to support existing services rather than entirely new ones—and the launch this year of the urban bus challenge scheme. These schemes help authorities to secure additional services where they are most needed. In London, responsibility rests with the Mayor.

Correspondence

Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter of 1 June on behalf of his constituent Mr. Ogles.

John Spellar: I have now replied to the right hon. Member.

Multi-modal Studies

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement about the multi-modal study programme.

Stephen Byers: The Multi-Modal Studies are looking at some of the most severe transport problems around the country. They are considering the contribution all modes of transport can make to solving these problems. They are also looking at the contribution existing, previously considered and new transport infrastructure can make. The key objective is to give decision makers the information needed to identify tailored, integrated and sustainable transport solutions. The studies will drive major investment decisions over the period covered by our 10-Year Plan for Transport.
	The studies are founded on our New Approach To Appraisal, launched in 1998 in our Integrated Transport White Paper. They weigh strategies and their component projects according to their economic, environmental, safety, accessibility and integration impacts. This ensures that costs and benefits are fully explored and understood before decisions are taken. This new approach to decision making is an important step forward. We will consider the contribution all types of transport can make to solving problems, not just roads.
	Each study is addressing very different problems so the strategies and the decisions that emerge will be unique. The impact on the environment must be a key consideration and in each case we will have to weigh up the benefits of a particular road or rail link and balance it against the environmental impact. The conclusion will vary in each case. No individual decision will set a precedent for others to follow.
	Decisions will be taken through the new arrangements for the development of Regional Transport Strategies within Regional Planning Guidance. Ministers need not accept all recommendations from Regional Planning Bodies. There may be instances where strategies or individual projects raise issues of national importance. Where this is the case my priority will be to ensure that final decisions reflect, and are properly co-ordinated with, our wider national policy objectives.

South Coast Corridor Multi-modal Study

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Isle of Wight is covered by the terms of reference of the South Coast Corridor Multi-modal Study; and for what reason no representative of the Isle of Wight is a member of the steering group of the study.

David Jamieson: The overall aim of the study is to investigate congestion, safety and environmental problems of transport on the south coast between Southampton and Thanet. The Isle of Wight is not included in the core study area but is included in the study's "Area of Influence" to enable assessment of the effects that any proposed schemes might have on the wider area. Although no representatives from the Isle of Wight are present on the study's Steering Group there is a wide-ranging consultation exercise currently being undertaken which enables input from all interested parties. A number of representatives from the Isle of Wight were invited to a consultative working group in Fareham on 29 June and there is an opportunity to feed into the process via newsletters, and a website. In addition a briefing meeting for local MPs has been arranged for 17 July: the Member has been invited.

South Coast Corridor Multi-modal Study

Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he has considered the recommendations of the South East England Regional Assembly following completion of the Access to Hastings multi-modal study; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: The Secretary of State has today replied to the Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly, and I am placing a copy of his letter in the House of Commons Library.
	Multi-modal studies represent a wholly new approach to the consideration of transport provision. The Access to Hastings Study is the first of these multi-modal studies to have been completed, and I am grateful to all who have contributed to it.
	The study contains a large number of recommendations designed to relieve congestion and safety problems in Kent and East Sussex and to contribute to the regeneration of the economy in the area around Hastings and Bexhill. I have considered the study's recommendations in light of the guidance for handling multi-modal studies outlined in the Secretary of State's parliamentary answer of today. I am able to accept most of these recommendations, although in some areas further work is required to develop proposals before any finding commitments can be given.
	The study has shown a wide measure of agreement that, in place of the proposed six lane off-line scheme on the A21 between Tonbridge and Pembury, the Highways Agency should consider the feasibility of a four lane on-line scheme. I have asked the Agency to progress that work. There is also broad consensus that the proposed A259 Pevensey to Bexhill scheme may now be dropped, given the safety improvements which have now been put in place. I have asked the Highways Agency to continue to monitor safety on this stretch of road.
	I have also asked the Agency to prepare a draft programme of work to identify possible further measures on the A21 South of Pembury. I have stressed, however, that this work will need to bear in mind the environmental sensitivity of the area.
	The study has demonstrated the potential merits of public transport investment in bus and rail. GoVia has agreed to the electrification of the Ashford to Hastings rail route and to looking at the scope for further improvements. As a result of this study, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) have also agreed to look at improvements to the service between Wadhurst and Tonbridge and investigate what further measures are required on the route to provide faster, better quality of service. I have asked the SRA to work with the local councils to consider proposals for a new station at Glyne Gap and proposals for Ore-Bexhill metro rail service.
	I am also inviting East Sussex county council to come forward with well thought out proposals for improving bus services in Hastings to tackle regeneration. They are now reviewing their Local Transport Plan and I look forward to considering their proposals.
	Although I recognise the strong views held by the Regional Assembly and others in favour of the proposed A259 Western and Eastern bypasses, I have decided not to proceed with these schemes. The study did not build a convincing regeneration case for the by-passes—it concluded that although the by-passes could possibly help to generate employment in the area this would not necessarily help those in most need. There would be reduced congestion in some areas of the town but the position would get worse in other areas. Against these rather weak arguments we had to place the evidently severe implications for the environment—two Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and an internationally recognised wetland surround Hastings.
	I believe, therefore, we must look for alternative means to prevent the further decline of the area and to optimise its economic potential. Regeneration is an important priority for the Government—some wards in Hastings suffer from some of the most severe deprivation in England—but we do not believe the by-passes are the solution. A regeneration strategy for Hastings needs to be developed which shows clearly how transport and other measures may be implemented to ensure a sustainable economic future of the area. I have asked my officials to work closely with the South East England Development Agency and local partners on that.

Representation of the People Regulations

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he intends to lay the draft Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations.

Nick Raynsford: The consultation on the draft regulations, which ended last month, has shown that there remain widespread and often conflicting concerns about the proposals. The Government, therefore, do not consider it right to proceed now with the proposed draft, and as discussed with the Electoral Commission intend to consult further with interested parties with a view, subject to parliamentary approval, of making regulations in the autumn which will provide for a full and edited electoral register with effect from the 2002 canvass. The Government believe that this will allow an orderly and well-planned introduction of the new arrangements.
	To allow this year's electoral registration canvass to take place on the existing basis, we intend to make as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary approval of a draft, regulations prescribing for this canvass a registration form in the traditional format.

Affordable Housing

Bridget Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if local authorities can use Major Repairs Allowance to fund new affordable housing.

Sally Keeble: I refer to the answer that I gave in the Housing (London) debate on 3 July 2001, Official Report, column 21WH, which is unfortunately incorrect—the reference to:
	"extra money through the new Major Repairs Allowance (MRA)" should have referred to the overall increase in resources available for housing investment. Where resources are made available for the provision of additional housing by RSLs this must come from authorities' Housing Investment Programme allocations or their own resources. The MRA is being provided to meet the on-going capital costs of maintaining council housing and is essential to delivery of the target to bring all council housing up to a decent standard by 2010.

PRIME MINISTER

Government Annual Report

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons the Government have chosen to stop publishing its annual report.

Tony Blair: The Government will continue to report to Parliament and the public on their performance through a variety of means such as reports, statistical bulletins, ministerial statements and parliamentary questions. The information in the annual report was in any event a collation of existing, publicly available material.

Echelon Communications Group

Paul Flynn: To ask the Prime Minister if the United Kingdom is a member of the Echelon communications group.

Tony Blair: It is long-standing Government policy not to comment on these matters.

Engagements

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates he visited the United States of America in an official capacity since 1 January 2000; and on which of these occasions he met the President of the United States of America.

Tony Blair: I have visited the United States on two occasions since 1 January 2000. I attended the UN Millennium Summit in New York from 5 to 7 September 2000. On that occasion I met President Clinton for bilateral talks on 6 to 7 September 2000.
	I also visited the United States from 22 to 24 February this year and met President Bush for bilateral talks at Camp David during that time.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

"Mein Kampf"

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will review the availability of "Mein Kampf" in public libraries; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: I have responsibility under the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964 to ensure that library authorities in England meet their statutory duty to provide a "comprehensive and efficient" public library service, but the day-to-day management of public library services remains for library authorities, who must make their own decisions about the detailed nature of the library service they provide, based on local resources and priorities. Decisions on book selection are, therefore, entirely for each library authority, provided that their selections keep within the law.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received regarding an independent public inquiry into the impact of foot and mouth disease on the tourism industry; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 5 July 2001
	I have received no representations specifically regarding an independent public inquiry into the impact of foot and mouth disease on the tourism industry. The Prime Minister has said there will be a proper inquiry into the outbreak once it is over. I am sure this will consider the implications for tourism.

William Roberts

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures she is taking to safeguard the contents of the house of the late William Roberts R.A. for public display.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 5 July 2001
	Since John Roberts' death in 1995 the works of art of the late William Roberts R.A. have been stored free of charge by the Tate, a national gallery funded by my Department. The William Roberts Society is negotiating to purchase William Roberts' house from Treasury Solicitors, the administrators of the estate, with a view to establishing a museum to display his art. The Tate Gallery also has indicated its interest in acquiring some of the works of art. The Treasury Solicitors Department have given both these parties first refusal on purchasing the house and works of art respectively with a deadline set for proposals to be submitted. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts has urged the William Roberts Society to obtain professional advice to help them with their proposal to turn the house into a museum.

National Museums and Galleries

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many overseas visitors there were to each of the national museums and galleries in the last year for which figures are available; and what proportion this represented of visitors in each case.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 9 July 2001
	The estimated numbers and proportions of overseas visitors to each of the national museums and galleries sponsored by my Department in 1999–2000 are contained in the table.
	
		Estimate of overseas visitors to national museums and galleries sponsored by DCMS 1999–2000
		
			  Museum/Gallery Overseas visitor numbers (thousands) As a percentage of total visitors 
		
		
			 British Museum 4,204 77 
			 Natural History Museum 638 38 
			 Imperial War Museum 526 39 
			 National Gallery 2,500 50 
			 National Maritime Museum 391 46 
			 National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside 41 6 
			 National Portrait Gallery 110 11 
			 National Museum of Science and Industry 400 14 
			 Tate Gallery 850 34 
			 Victoria and Albert Museum 611 48 
			 Wallace Collection 73 40 
			 Royal Armouries 11 5 
			  
			 Total 10,354 43 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures are based on visitor surveys.

Swimming Pools

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what recent representations her Department has received about the state of repair of swimming pools;
	(2)  what steps she is taking to improve levels of access to swimming pools for young people.

Richard Caborn: Since my appointment, the Department has received nine representations regarding the provision of swimming pools, although none of these has concerned their current state of repair. The Amateur Swimming Association and the Amateur Swimming Federation of Great Britain have, in conjunction with Sport England, produced a National Facilities Strategy which is due to be published shortly. The aim of this strategy will be to increase participation in swimming through the provision of swimming pools that meets the needs of the population, and will address the need for a network of teaching pools throughout the country.
	The Department for Education and Skills has established a Swimming Advisory Group, involving representatives from my Department, the swimming associations, Ofsted and the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to discuss what more can be done to create even more opportunities for children to swim. Proposals will be announced by the end of the year.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Royal Sign Manual Procedure

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the cancer research rota used in deciding how to distribute funds under the Royal Sign manual procedure.

Harriet Harman: The Royal Sign manual procedure is used where a testator makes a bequest in his or her will to charity but the charity is unnamed or unclear. In the circumstances, the Attorney-General, on behalf of the Queen, exercises the Royal Prerogative to direct that the bequest be made to a specific charity, which most nearly represents the testator's intention. A common bequest is for the purposes of "cancer research" but there are several charities which carry out this object. In the absence of any indications of the particular charity, the Treasury Solicitor's Department who administer the scheme has established a rota so that each one of our chosen cancer research charities receive approximately the same amount in any given year. This rota has now been running for almost 20 years, and the Attorney- General and I are seeking the views of the public on its composition. I have today placed a paper describing the issues in detail in the Library. It will be sent to all the registered cancer research and relief charities for their observations and comments.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Business Regulations

Chris Grayling: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to simplify and reduce the number and cost of regulations on business.

Christopher Leslie: The Government are taking a number of measures to control the regulatory burden.
	A Regulatory Impact Assessment is required for each new proposal for regulation affecting business to ensure it is necessary and not cumbersome. The Panel for Regulatory Accountability, now given Cabinet Committee status, meets monthly to discuss regulatory performance with departmental Ministers.
	At European level we are working closely with other member states and the Commission to build on the real progress my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister reported to the House on 26 March following the Stockholm European Council.
	The Regulatory Reform Act 2001 now provides a new and powerful tool for reforming over-burdensome, over- complex and outdated primary legislation. We have identified over 50 examples of reforms that could be delivered by the order-making power in the Act and already issued seven consultation documents on prospective RROs, with more to follow shortly.

Government Offices for the Regions

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) budgets and (b) administrative costs were for each of the Government offices for the Regions for each financial year since their establishment; and what their planned budgets and administrative costs are for the next two years.

Barbara Roche: The Government offices for the English regions were established in 1994 and their work was originally overseen by the Government Office Management Board (GOMB). Following the Performance and Innovation Unit report, "Reaching Out", published in February 2000, the role of the Government Office Management Board passed to the Regional Co-ordination Unit (RCU).
	The administrative running costs for each Government office and for RCU/GOMB for the period 1995–96 until 2000–01 are detailed in the table. The table also shows the administrative running cost allocations, including a very small allocation for capital expenditure, for the current financial year. Since 1 April this year, the RCU has managed a single running cost budget for itself and the nine Government offices. This funding is transferred from sponsor Government Departments to cover the running costs of the Government offices for the work that the latter undertake on behalf of sponsor Departments. As at 1 April this year the sponsor Departments were DETR (as was), DfEE (as was), DTI and MAFF (as was). From 1 April 2002, Home Office and DCMS are expected to become sponsor Departments.
	The total indicative administrative running cost budget for the RCU and the Government offices for financial year 2002–03 is £98.63 million and £95.66 million for the 2003–04 financial year. There will be a resource planning exercise that will precede each of these financial years, and this will allocate these figures between individual Government offices and the RCU.
	Programme budgets administered by the Government offices are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the relevant sponsor Departments.
	
		Government office administrative running costs
		
			 £ million  
			 GO 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02(12) Total 
		
		
			 North East 8.843 8.687 8.617 8.619 8.312 8.222 9.016 60.316 
			  
			 North West 9.984 9.839 9.443 13.690 13.049 13.398 14.562 83.965 
			 Merseyside 4.754 4.350 4.200 0.012 — — — 13.316 
			  
			 Total NW/M 14.738 14.189 13.643 13.702 13.049 13.398 14.562 97.281 
			  
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 9.061 8.765 8.475 8.684 8.889 9.184 9.966 63.024 
			 West Midlands 10.436 10.040 9.758 9.474 9.330 9.794 9.693 68.525 
			 East Midlands 7.117 6.617 6.436 6.754 6.951 7.177 7.726 48.778 
			 East England 6.123 6.169 6.271 6.269 7.005 7.391 8.514 47.742 
			 South West 7.574 7.141 6.826 6.985 7.797 8.227 10.069 54.619 
			 South East 8.331 8.406 8.545 8.561 8.659 8.953 9.748 61.203 
			 London 11.106 14.106 13.459 13.238 13.716 13.747 12.617 91.989 
			 RCU 1.137 1.696 4.356 3.095 3.703 3.130 9.717 26.834 
			  
			 Total 84.466 85.816 86.386 85.381 87.411 89.223 101.628 620.311 
		
	
	(12) Allocations for 2001–02
	Note:
	GO-North West and GO-Merseyside merged during 1998–99

Energy Policy

Helen Clark: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if the policy and innovation unit review of energy policy will examine the options for demand management.

Tony Blair: I am replying to this question as it relates to matters for which I am responsible.
	The role of demand side management and energy efficiency in reducing energy use in Great Britain will form a key part of the Energy Review, which will develop a strategy for achieving greater energy efficiency.

TREASURY

Financial Services and Markets Act

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to bring into force the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000.

Ruth Kelly: My predecessor announced in March that "N2", the date for commencing the main provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, would be no later than the end of November 2001. I can now confirm that, in lay terms, the new regime will come into effect at midnight on 30 November. For legal reasons, the date named in the Commencement Order will be 1 December. Naming this day will have the effect of commencing the main provisions of the Act from the beginning of that day, which complies with the timescale set by my predecessor.
	So far, the Government have secured Parliament's approval for seven statutory instruments subject to affirmative resolution, and made a further 27 statutory instruments subject to the negative resolution procedure.
	We will shortly be making other statutory instruments with a view to enabling the FSA Board to make further provisions of its rulebook at its Board Meeting on 19 July. The key provisions of the rulebook, of course, were made by the FSA at its Board Meeting on 21 June.
	It particular, we expect shortly to make the statutory instrument that provides mechanisms by which firms having authority under old law to do financial services business will be "grandfathered" across into permissions to do equivalent business once FSMA commences. The FSA will then be responsible for letting individual firms know their grandfathered permissions.
	From Monday 3 September, we will commence FSA powers to consider applications from financial services firms to modify their grandfathered permissions or the grant of new permissions. Monday 3 September will also be the date from which the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal will consider appeals on decisions taken by the FSA in respect of those applications.
	By the summer recess, therefore, the task of implementing the Act will pass substantially to the financial services firms. They will need:
	to become familiar with the secondary legislation passed by Government;
	to absorb the provisions of the rule book made by the FSA;
	to analyse their grandfathered N2 permissions, and consider whether to seek modifications to those permissions;
	to adapt their procedures; and
	to train their staff.
	The date set for N2 ensures that the new regime for financial regulation starts after the close of business on the day, week and month, and should further assist financial services firms in making their adjustment.

Statistics

Nick Gibb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the categories of information and statistics sought by the ONS from businesses and individuals by way of requests for information.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Nick Gibb, dated 12 July 2001
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the categories of information and statistics sought by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) from businesses and individuals by way of requests for information. (2512)
	Statistical and Registration inquiries conducted by the ONS for its own purposes are listed in the attached table. The table shows three main types of information; economic, collected from businesses, social, collected from individuals and socio-economic collected from both businesses and individuals.
	The table also includes inquiries conducted on behalf of other Departments and Agencies, but excludes statistical information derived as a by-product of administrative systems.
	
		Source information sought by the Office for National Statistics
		
			  Title of source Business/ individual  Frequency 
		
		
			 Economic   
			 Annual Business Inquiry (Distribution and Services) Business Annually 
			 Annual Business Inquiry (Production and Construction)-UK Business Annually 
			 Annual Survey of Financial Assets and Liabilities Business Annually 
			 Asset Finance Annual Income and Expenditure Inquiry Business Annually 
			 Asset Finance Quarterly Balance Sheet and Transactions Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Building Societies Inquiry Business Monthly and quarterly 
			 Business Enterprise Research and Development Survey-UK Business Annually 
			 Central Government Net Cash Requirement-UK Business Monthly 
			 Construction Inventories-UK Business Quarterly 
			 Consumer Prices Collection-UK Business Monthly 
			 Earnings of UK Insurance Brokers in overseas currencies Business Quarterly 
			 Exported Producer Price Indices Business Monthly 
			 Family Expenditure Survey-UK Business Continuously 
			 Finance Houses and Consumer Credit Grantors (Outside the Monetary Sector) and Specialist Finance Leasing Companies and Partnerships Quarterly Inquiry into Capital Expenditure Business Quarterly 
			 Foreign Direct Investment Inquiries Business Quarterly 
			 Fund Managers and certain other members of IMRO Business Annually 
			 GB Cinema Exhibitors Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Government Research and Development Survey-UK Business Annually 
			 Gross Trading Surplus of Local Authority Trading Enterprises-UK Business Quarterly 
			 Imported Producer Price Indices Business Monthly 
			 Index of Production-UK Business Monthly 
			 Insurance Companies Balance Sheet Annual Inquiry Business Annually 
			 Insurance Companies Income and Expenditure-Quarterly Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Insurance Companies Income and Expenditure Annual Inquiry Business Annual 
			 Insurance Companies Transactions in Financial Assets Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 International Trade in Services Business Annually and Quarterly 
			 International Transactions of the Film and Television Industries Business Annually 
			 Investment by other financial intermediaries Business Quarterly 
			 Investment by UK Monetary Financial Institution Business Quarterly 
			 Investment Trusts Annual Return of Liabilities and Assets Business Annual 
			 Investment Trusts Quarterly Return of Transactions Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Local Authority net Cash Requirement-UK Business Monthly 
			 Monthly Inquiries into the Distribution and Services Sector Business Monthly 
			 Monthly Inquiry to Credit Grantors Business Monthly 
			 Monthly Sales Inquiries-UK Business Monthly 
			 Monthly Short-term Turnover and Employment Survey-Production Industries Business Monthly 
			 Motor Traders' Inventories-UK Business Quarterly 
			 Motor Vehicle Production Inquiry-UK Business Monthly 
			 Overseas Direct Investment Business Annually and Quarterly 
			 Pension Fund Annual Balance Sheet Inquiry Business Annually 
			 Pension Fund Quarterly Income and Expenditure Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Pension Fund Quarterly Transactions Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Pension Funds Quarterly Income and Expenditure Inquiry Business Annually 
			 Producer Price Indices-Inquiries Business Monthly 
			 Production Inventories-UK Business Quarterly 
			 PRODucts of the European COMmunity (PRODCOM INQUIRY) Business Annually and Quarterly 
			 Property Unit Trusts Annual Return of Liabilities and Assets Business Annual 
			 Property Unit Trusts Quarterly Return of Transactions Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Public Corporations Net Cash Requirement-UK Business Monthly 
			 Quarterly Capital Expenditure Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Credit Grantors Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Inquiries into the Distributive and Service Sector-GB Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Inquiry into Companies, GB Operating Profits Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Inventory (Stocks) Inquiries Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Short-term Turnover and Employment Survey-Service Sector Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Survey of Financial Assets and Liabilities Business Quarterly 
			 Retail Sales Inquiry-GB Business Monthly 
			 Retailers' Inventories-UK Business Quarterly 
			 Securities Dealers Quarterly Income and Expenditure Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Securities Dealers Quarterly Return of Liabilities and Assets and of Transactions in Securities Business Quarterly 
			 Specialist Finance Leasing Companies and Partnerships Annual Income and Expenditure Inquiry Business Annually 
			 Specialist Finance Leasing Companies and Partnerships Quarterly Balance Sheet Business Quarterly 
			 Unit Trusts Annual Return of Liabilities and Assets Business Annual 
			 Unit Trusts Quarterly Return of Transactions Inquiry Business Quarterly 
			 Wholesalers' and Dealers' Stocks-UK Business Quarterly 
			
			 Socio-Economic   
			 Annual Employment Survey-Great Britain Business Annually 
			 Average Earnings Index-GB Business Monthly 
			 Census of Employment Business Biennial 
			 Centralised Returns Business Monthly and Quarterly 
			 Labour Disputes Statistics Business Monthly 
			 Labour Force Survey Individual Continuously 
			 New Earnings Survey-GB Business Annual 
			 New Earnings Survey Panel Dataset (NESPD) Business Annually 
			 Pay and Working Time-Collective Agreements for Manual Staff Business Monthly amendments 
			 Workforce and Employee Jobs Business Quarterly 
			
			 Social   
			 Census of Population and Housing-United Kingdom 2001 Individual Decennially 
			 General Household Survey-GB Individual Continuously 
			 International Passenger Survey-UK Individual Continuously 
			 Survey of Student Achievement Individual Triennially 
			 The ONS Omnibus Survey-GB Individual Monthly 
			 Expenditure and Food Survey Individual Continuously 
			 Registration of Births-England and Wales Individual Continuously 
			 Registration of Births-England and Wales Individual Continuously 
			 Registration of Births-England and Wales Individual Continuously 
			
			 Inquiries Conducted on behalf of other Departments and Agencies   
			 Social   
			 Family Resources Survey Individual Continuously 
			 National Travel Survey Individual Continuously 
			 Local LFS Individual Continuously 
			 Economic   
			 Bricks-GB Business Monthly 
			 Concrete Blocks-GB Business Monthly 
			 Concrete Roofing Tiles-GB Business Quarterly 
			 Quarterly Inquiry into Oil and Natural Gas-UK Business Quarterly 
			 Retail Turnover Statistical Inquiry Business Biennially

Census Results

Julia Drown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what powers he has to sell the results of the census to private companies.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Ms Julia Drown, dated 12 July 2001
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what powers there are to sell Census results to private companies (3315).
	Under the provisions of Section 4(1) of the Census Act 1920, the Registrar General is required, as soon as may be after the census, to prepare reports on the Census returns and to present such reports to Parliament. Copies of all such reports from previous censuses have been published and made publicly available either through the Stationery Office or from the Census Office by delegated authority.
	Access to census results will mainly be through free access to information on the National Statistics website, with additional information being provided on a cost recovery basis.
	Additionally, under the provisions of Section 4(2) of the Act, the Registrar General may, at the request and cost of any local authority or person, prepare abstracts containing any such statistical information not contained in the reports to Parliament, which, in his opinion, it is reasonable for that authority or person to require. It is under this provision that most small area statistics or specially commissioned output from the census are made available to private companies and other customers either directly from the Census Office or from other agencies licensed to sell census information to third parties.
	For both free and cost recovery services, the same measures are applied to all such statistical results to ensure that there is no disclosure of information relating to identified individuals or households. No information is available on an exclusive basis, and repeated requests for information that has yet to be published are likely to lead to that information being placed on the National Statistics website.

Endowment Policies

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will encourage the Financial Services Authority to inform those with endowment mortgages that are at risk of not growing sufficiently to pay off their mortgages of the methods of seeking help from the Ombudsman and gaining compensation.

Ruth Kelly: The FSA has been active in informing those with endowment mortgages of the methods of seeking help and, if required, how to make a complaint. The FSA fact-sheet, "Your endowment mortgage—what you need to know"—sent to all affected mortgage endowment holders in January 2000—set out what advice consumers should have been given when they were sold their endowment policy as well as how to complain. In addition, the FSA's consumer information has evolved in the light of developments and further fact-sheets have been published as follows:
	December 1999—Is an endowment mortgage right for you?
	April 2000—Guide to repaying your mortgage
	October 2000—Endowment Mortgage complaints
	January 2001—Guide to making a complaint
	June 2001—Is an endowment mortgage right for you? (Revised)
	July 2001—Guide to mortgages
	July 2001—Your endowment mortgage—time to decide.
	All these fact-sheets are available free from the FSA Consumer help-line on 0845 606 1234.

Correspondence

Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a substantive reply to his letter of 9 May to the Chairman of HM Customs and Excise on behalf of his constituent Mr. Wilson.

Paul Boateng: I understand that the Chairman of HM Customs and Excise replied to the right hon. Gentleman on 11 January.

Correspondence

Brian Mawhinney: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply 
	(1)  to his letter of 26 March on behalf of his constituent Mrs. Hall;
	(2)  to his letter of 30 May on behalf of his constituent Mrs. Murray.

Paul Boateng: The Treasury has no record of having received these letters. If the right hon. Gentleman would send copies to me, they will be answered as quickly as possible.

Petrol Duty

Tom Cox: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much income the Government have received from petrol duty in each of the last three years.

Paul Boateng: The amount of income the Government have received from duty on petrol in each of the last three years can be found in the HM Customs and Excise's "Hydrocarbon Oils Factsheet", a copy of which is in the Library.

Euro

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 67W, how long he estimates it will take to complete the preliminary technical work relating to an assessment of the five economic tests; if he will list the Treasury officials involved in this work; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 10 July 2001
	I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 2 July 2001, Official Report, column 67W. A wide range of officials will be contributing.

Working Families Tax Credit

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from small firms about the administrative arrangements for the Working Families Tax Credit.

Dawn Primarolo: Payment of tax credits by employers plays an important part in reinforcing the link between tax credits and the rewards of work.
	The Inland Revenue is in continuous consultation with employers' representatives, and has been since 1998, to ensure any extra administration because of the tax credits is kept to a minimum and, where possible, reduced. The Inland Revenue is continually monitoring and assessing the tax credits scheme and involving employers' representatives at all stages.

Tax Credits

Jim Cousins: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for each tax credit those other (a) benefits and (b) concessions for which the tax credit is a passport.

Dawn Primarolo: The decision as to which benefits or concessions Working Families Tax Credit recipients are passported is not a matter for the Inland Revenue, but lies with those responsible for the individual benefits or concessions. Working Families Tax Credit, like its predecessor Family Credit, may be used as an indicator of entitlement to certain benefits or concessions by central Government, the devolved executives, local government and voluntary organisations. In this way, families entitled to other help can be identified without them having to make a full application. The major central Government passports for many Working Families Tax Credit recipients are helped with NHS costs such as prescription charges, dental treatment, sight tests and hearing aids and Social Fund payments to help with maternity costs or funeral expenses.

Bank Accounts

Tony Worthington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of households do not have access to a bank account; and how this varies in the nations and regions of the United Kingdom.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 11 July 2001
	Various surveys indicate that the percentage of adults who do not have either a current account or a savings account is in the range 6 to 10 per cent. A breakdown of these data can be found in the Financial Services Authority's report, "In or Out? Financial Exclusion: a literature and research review", a copy of which is in the Library.

Euro Assets (Purchase Costs)

Teddy Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason he will not publish the numbers and the cost of the euros which have been purchased by the Bank of England in consequence of gold sales.

Ruth Kelly: The purchase of euros assets with proceeds from the gold sales programme forms only part of the restructuring of the United Kingdom's foreign currency reserves. As the National Audit Office Report on "The Sale of Part of the UK Gold Reserves", published on 12 January 2001, states
	"a meaningful value for money assessment of the financial benefits to sell gold could only be undertaken over the medium to long-term, since a misleading impression of the benefit, or otherwise, of the restructuring may arise if too short a period is used. Over the short-term, temporary fluctuations in assets prices may tend to impact".
	However to give an indication of the change in the value of the UK's foreign currency reserves as a result of the gold sales, the National Audit Office Report provides a snapshot figure as at 18 December 2000 of a gain to the reserves of US$34 million (around £23 million).

LORD CHANCELLOR

Damages

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consultations he had prior to the setting of the rate of return under section 1 of the Damages Act 1996 with (a) the Government Actuary, (b) the Treasury, (c) organisations representing claimants and (d) organisations representing insurers; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: The Treasury and the Government Actuary were consulted in accordance with section 1(4) of the Damages Act 1996.
	Of the other responses to the Consultation Paper, "Damages: The Discount Rate and Alternatives to Lump Sum Payments", three were received from organisations representing claimants: the Personal Injury Bar Association, the TUC, and the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers. One was received from an organisation representing insurers: the Association of British Insurers; and one from an organisation representing insurance lawyers: the Forum of Insurance Lawyers.
	Of the remaining 77 responses, some were from insurers and it is likely that many were from organisations or individuals who normally represent claimants or insurers. But as the Consultation Paper did not seek this information, it is not possible to provide a complete breakdown.

Conditional Fees

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Lord Chancellor has to extend the operation of conditional fees to cases based on the Human Rights Act 1998; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Wills: None. Conditional fee agreements have been available for all forms of civil business other than family proceedings since 1998. Thus conditional fee agreements are already available for civil cases concerning human rights.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton will receive a reply to the letter he sent to the Lord Chancellor on 21 May with regard to Miss Anthea Gordon.

Rosie Winterton: My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor has replied to my right hon. Friend in a letter dated 9 July.

Transsexual People

David Kidney: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he proposes to take in response to the report of the Interdepartmental Working Group on Transsexual People.

Michael Wills: The report is being carefully considered within Government and by other interested groups. The Government are sympathetic to the issues raised in the report and will be considering further how to take the matter forward.